The Fortress of the Shadows
by Tonks08
Summary: When the students of Hogwarts go missing, there is only one place they could be, the Fortress of the Shadows. Students are being tourtured and what would happen when Ron and Hermione go missing? Will Sirius's memory stop him, or will he save them?
1. Chapter 1: Dwelling on the Past

Autors Note--- This is my first fanfic. ^_^

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Harry Potter and the Fortress of the Shadows

A Sixth year Fan Fic by TONKS

Disclaimer: Disclaimer: The Harry Potter books are the property of J. K. Rowling. This is an original work done for my own amusement, and no profit is being made from it.

Chapter 1

The dawning of a new generation, a generation full of fear dawned on the whole Wizarding community. It had recently come to light that Lord Voldemort, who most witches and wizards feared to speak his name, had returned at full power once more. Fear instantaneously broke out for everyone, but the fight for the light continued.

Harry Potter was sitting in on the swings in Magnolia Crescent, deep in thought. _What if he couldn't finish Voldemort off when he faced him? What if Voldemort threw the killing curse at him before he could do anything? Would he die, like his father or would he prevail over the Dark Lord once again? _

Ever since June he had thought this more then ever. He couldn't help it and when he wasn't dwelling on his prophecy he'd think about Sirius's death and every time he'd think about it he'd just miss Sirius more. Often in his dreams he'd visit the Department of Mysteries and sometimes Sirius would be there, but his spirits would rise for a while and when he remembered that he was dead the air filled with grief around him once more. 

He was staring at the ground and saw familiar shadows approaching him. It was Dudley of coarse, and his gang, probably just finished beating up a ten-year-old. He looked up and saw that Dudley was smirking.

"Potter, you're going to pay for what you did to me last year!" Dudley said through gritted teeth looking Harry in the eye. Harry instinctively broke eye contact. 

"Oh, yeah? You weren't that brave when you were facing the dementors," Harry said calmly. "I really wouldn't mess with Voldemort's equal. You know he can kill easily. He's the reason my mum and dad are dead. And it's because of me, because I am _his _equal." He said the word _his _with loathing in his voice. Harry pulled his wand out once again. Piers looked at his wand weirdly and spoke up.

"What are you going to do with a stick of wood?" 

"It's not a stick of wood," said Harry calmly. "I'd be quiet, or I'll jinx all of you. I'm not taking any shit from anyone anymore. Voldemort is trying to kill me; Bellatrix killed my godfather! And I'm not afraid to get expelled, because Sirius was the only reason I wanted to be in the Wizarding community! I can see my friends at will, Dumbledore will have me for loosing my temper, _again_, but I don't care."

"Potter, If you don't put that away I'll tell dad!" Dudley spoke up, glaring daggers at the wand.

All of a sudden Harry's scar seared with pain, at a higher level then he ever knew possible. It was ten times worse then the Cruciatus Curse. He fell to his knees at Dudley's feet. 

"Potter, what are you doing?" Dudley asked, perplexed. 

He couldn't answer, he felt warm crimson blood drip down from his scar. _Voldemort must have killed_, thought Harry. He could tell when he tortured, or was joyful or infuriated. He closed his eyes in pain, but he couldn't prevent his eyes from watering.

After about a minute of horrendous pain, it ceased, leaving him breathless on the ground. He had warm scarlet blood on both of his hands. The words on Harry's right hand burned through the blood and, 'I will not tell lies,' was clearly visible through the blood. 

"What's that?" Dudley said pointing at the words engraved in Harry's hand.

"N-nothing," replied Harry, who had forgot that Umbridge had made him carve that into his hand. It had been because he told the truth, that: Voldemort returned, which was the reason for the scar on his hand. It was burning, which was strange. Dudley grabbed his wrist and in Dudley's tough grip he couldn't break free. 

"What's this?" Dudley said evaluating the words, 'I will not tell lies' under his breath. "What did you lie about?" Dudley said amused.

"I didn't lie about anything, OK? I got in trouble for telling the truth... the truth that Voldemort returned and if I lied about that then I am really going crazy. I probably am as crazy as the _Daily Prophet _made me out to be."

"What the bloody hell is the _Daily Prophet_?" Piers said loudly.

"Er- it's the Wizarding newspaper. They put in it last summer that I was crazy for saying that Voldemort returned," Harry said as he turned and walked towards the swing, mopping up his head with his T-shirt. 

"Who the hell is Voldemort?" Gordon finally spoke up, who was staring, transfixed at Harry like he _was _crazy. 

"I'm done talking to muggles, like you. I don't want to talk about it. _He _already put me through enough. Voldemort is the reason I have this scar, and don't have any parents or a godfather anymore. He's the reason I'm so fucking miserable all the time! I'm so fed up with this lot, No one knows what all I've been through! No one has ever escaped Voldemort all these times. I wish this war would finish and I would die! So leave me the hell alone, or I _will _jinx you, and I'm out." Harry said, walking toward the exit of Magnolia Crescent. 

He headed off toward number four, his head spinning with pain and he wanted to kill Voldemort for all the suffering he brought Harry. He wanted revenge, he agreed with Dumbledore at what he had to say to Voldemort, _'Merrily taking your life wouldn't satisfy me, I admit..._' For Harry wanted to bring the worst thing possible upon Voldemort. He wanted him to die. He wanted to be the one that killed him. 

Even if Harry did die in the process of saving the lives of the innocent he'd die fighting. Fighting for the light. He wanted to save as many lives as possible and end this war before he started. He had the chance. He had two chances, except Voldemort thwarted him. He lost his chance, when he disconnected Voldemort's and his own wands over one year ago. He had given Voldemort the chance to regain power. He was too late...

The war started once again. Muggles were going missing and people were being found dead... Unmarked... Like his parents... Like Sirius. Voldemort had to be brought down, because Voldemort was getting to him through the people who he loved. That's why Sirius died, because he cared. Because he was afraid to see anyone he loves in pain and misery.

Even when it's a dream and he knew it, he believed it. He remembered as Dumbledore once said _"Lord Voldemort's gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great. We can fight it only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust..." It is true, but now when they should be a union, they are fighting more_. _Someone should take the Sorting hats song seriously_, Harry thought. _We are divided and weak... we are just about letting Voldemort take over... We need to stay together, united as one... Fight the dark and bring a new era... An era of light, and good... And no pain or suffering or redemption..._

It would be nice if it would be that easy. Voldemort had gone unnoticed for a year, he gained his powers back and it would be impossible to bring him down from immortality again. They waited to long. The waiting period was over. Voldemort regained his powers and there is nothing he could do about it, now.

Harry remembered the glint in Dumbledore's eye at the end of his fourth year, which had gone unnoticed until now... _Could it be that with his blood, Voldemort is Harry's equal? And could Voldemort be killed? But if Voldemort has Harry's blood, and he was killed, wouldn't it harm him too?_

Harry was thrown from his trial of thought, because he ran head on into a door of number four. His Uncle came busting out, looking furious.

"POTTER, IN, _NOW_!" Uncle Vernon bellowed, so loud Harry was sure that the people from the other streets would be woke up. Harry walked in, quietly and stood out in the hallway. "WHAT WERE YOU DOING TELLING PEOPLE ABOUT YOUR ABNORMALITY?" 

"They asked, so I told! I don't tell lies like everybody thinks!"

"You don't tell lies, eh? That's not what your hand says. What'd you lie about that time, dementy-whatsits attacking you?" Uncle Vernon said strutting back and forth in the hallway. 

"For your info I didn't lie. That's because I had a crackpot old fool for a Defense against the Dark Arts professor, who didn't believe that Voldemort returned. Now if you don't mind... I'll be in my room," Harry said walking toward the steps. To late... His Uncle jumped in front of him and placed his beefy hand around Harry's scrawny wrist. 

Harry felt it snap, he didn't say anything though. He wasn't going to give his uncle the satisfaction. He stared into his Uncles beady black eyes. 

"I see right through you, Potter," Uncle Vernon said. 

"No you don't. You don't know anything, and it's a surprise to me that you can even add up two plus two," Harry said with hate in his voice. He thought he could make a really painful Cruciatus Curse right at this moment. He was surprised that steam wasn't bellowing from his ears.

"Boy - I'm - Going - To - Make - Your - Life - A - Living - Hell," Vernon said all in one breath. He was glaring daggers at Harry. His Uncle let go of his arm and glared Harry in his eye before walking up the steps, as if nothing happened. 

After about five or ten minutes Harry ascended the staircase. He walked into his room and collapsed onto his bed. He wasn't going to go to bed however. He was too deep in thought for that. It was the same thing he'd been thinking about for about a month and a half.

A lot of questions were flying through his mind. Like, 'Why did Voldemort mark him as his equal? What was so special about him? He longed for a normal life, like his friends Ron and Hermione, but what was normal? He was normal for three whole months then he was marked. Marked as Voldemort's equal... And as the-Boy-Who-Lived. 

He didn't ask for it. It just happened and there was nothing he could do to change the past, but he could change the future. He could stop history from repeating itself for a new generation.


	2. Chapter 2: The Seer

**__**

THE FORTRESS OF THE SHADOWS

A SIXTH YEAR FAN FIC BY TONKS

Chapter 2

As the night went on Harry finally laid his thoughts aside and fell into a deep sleep, even though his arm was aching and his scar still throbbed. The black of night came to dawn and Harry lay fast asleep.

He was woke by his Aunt yelling at him to get dressed. He put on a gold shirt with the Gryffindor logo on, and put on a pair of oversized jeans. He pulled a piece of rope around his waist and then made his way down the stairs.

His Uncle, Dudley and Aunt Petunia were sitting around the table. Harry sat down and helped himself to some toast and his Aunt was the only one that took notice to Harry's heavily bruised arm. 

"Vernon, I think you should take the boy to the hospital, that arm looks broken," he heard his Aunt say. He say his Uncle glance at him and then to Petunia. 

"Well, er- yes, I suppose I should take him, but how dreadful for this to come up er-... I have to work today," His Uncle replied. And Harry thought he was a really bad liar. He couldn't keep a straight face.

"Well, then I suppose I'll have to take him then," She said and then added, "Dudders do you want more bacon?" 

"No," Dudley replied, which was amazing because he only had seven helpings.

"Potter, this came for you while you were sleeping," His Uncle said handing him an official looking letter. He looked down at it and saw that it was from the Minerstry of Magic. He opened it and read:

__

Dear Mr. Potter,

We have received intelligence that you have broken the International Confederation of Wizards' Stature of Secrecy at twenty-five minutes past six, Yesterday evening.

As you have already been tried for breaking the International Confederation of Wizards' Stature of Secrecy your presence is mandatory at a disciplinary hearing at in Courtroom 10 at 7:00 A.M. on July 31. You are to be tried by the whole Wizengamot, where we will be discussing your punishment.

Hoping you are well,

Yours sincerely,

Amelia Bones

Department of Magical Law Enforcement

Harry reread the letter five or more times. Until... "Well boy, what does it say?"

"It says I'm in trouble for 'Breaking the International Confederation of Wizards' Statue of Secrecy,'" Harry said mimicking Madam Bones's voice.

"Serves you right, going around blabbing that you're a you-know-what and carrying that stick of wood around-" He was cut of by Harry.

"It's not a stick of wood. It's a wand." Harry said his temper rising. "I carry it only because Voldemort is after me. And I do not want to be murdered," He said coolly. 

"Murdered by that freak that killed your parents?" Uncle Vernon said, smirking behind his thick mustache. 

"Yeah, or incase you didn't know he wants _me _dead. I've already escaped him four times and I'm the only one who can bring him down. Either it's going to end with one of us dieing, because..." He started mimicking Professor Trelawrney's mystical voice, "_The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches.... Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies.... And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have the power the Dark Lord knows naught...And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies."""""""_" Harry said giving up his "Trelawney voice" and using his own once again... "It means that I have the power to conquer Voldemort and he doesn't know. Even though he can get into my mind..." Harry shuddered at the thought. Voldemort possessed him at the end of the year and Voldemort was trying to get Dumbledore to kill him. "It was a prophecy made about a month before my birthday, by my old Divination Professor."

"Divination, what is this rubbish?" His Uncle spat out.

"Divination is like fortune telling... It's one of our elective classes at Hog- I mean my school. I'm no good at it though... I'm not a seer. Well at least I think I'm not," Harry said.

Harry's Uncle started looking furious. His plump face turned a light shade of scarlet. Harry was sure that his Uncle was going to go ballistic and launch himself at him.

"What can you do that's so special, Potter?" His Uncle spat at him. 

"I can do a lot of things, or maybe you didn't notice... I'm a wizard... I must be pretty damn good if Voldemort marked me as his equal!" All of a sudden his scar once more burst with pain like the day before and felt warm scarlet blood dripping down on to his nose and he tasted it. He fell over onto all fours and a vision flew right past his eyes...

__

He was in a dimly lit dungeon... the walls were lit with torches... It looked like the path that lids to Courtroom ten. He went into the courtroom and saw that the complete Wizengamot occupied it, There was a small person, sitting before the benches on which the Wizengamot resided. The boy had messy black hair and a sick look upon his face. The face looked familiar... He watched in curiosity...

"The Defendant, Harry James Potter is found guilty and sentenced to a month in Azkaban, and shall be dropped off at school by two guards," He heard the voice of Cornelius Fudge say.

Cold... The room was cold... The courtroom plunged into mortal darkness and what seemed like hours, two hooded figures towering towards the ceiling... They mysteriously glided into the room... hovering about a foot from the floor. They extended their moldy, scabby hands and placed them around the boys arms... The boys eyes rolled into his head and he knew he was re-living Sirius's death and Dumbledore's duel and being possessed by Voldemort...

Harry felt coldness toward Fudge... He told the whole Wizarding community lies... HE put everyone into a false sense of security... Anyone could have been killed... He was the one who appointed Umbridge... But... What if Fudge was a deatheater? And he didn't want his master to come out into the open? It could be possible...

He was going to Azkaban! The place Hagrid... and Sirius... dreaded... A month with the foulest creatures on Earth: dementors...! It wasn't fair! 'I'm not going to Azkaban,' Harry told himself firmly. 'Dumbledore will help me! He's back on the Wizengamot! Doesn't that mean that he'll have a say in the matter? Why does everything happen to me?' 

All of a sudden he was spinning in what looked like he was traveling at the speed of sound. Blue, Green, Black, Red, Pink, Yellow were some of the colors spinning around him. The end of the tunnel was dark and he was thrown out of it at high speeds. He landed with a loud, "THUMP".

He was in the same courtroom, except there was a person who was wearing a dark cloak, with the Slytherin crest on the front. There was at least fifty deatheaters sitting on the court benches and there was about three hundred more standing in a circular shape on the floor. Someone was standing in the middle of all the deatheaters, but Harry couldn't make out who it was.

"Umbridge..." Said a cold voice. 'That's it! That's why my scar on my hand burnt! This was yesterday!' "You have disgraced me as a deatheater...You let the boy thwart me once more... Good bye, Dolores Umbridge... Avada Kedavara!" There was a bright green flash of light and a scream of pain. 

Dolores Umbridge was lying flat on her back with her toad like face visible. Her face didn't show surprise, nor pain, but a grin. Had Voldemort tortured her to insanity? Had she know this was her fate? Had she joined the dark side because she despised him so much? Of course Harry hated her, but Voldemort took the lives of too many people... Even though it's a person he clearly loathed... He hated to see Voldemort kill... Even if they aren't so innocent. 

Over one hundred miles away Harry Potter woke up, with his scar burning as if someone had just pressed a white hot wire to his skin... he was drenched in a cold sweat. His breathing was harsh. He opened his eyes and saw that somebody had taken his glasses off. There were dark blurry shapes moving around the room.

"Is he going to be ok?" He heard a female voice say. It seemed as though someone turned his brain on slow. He knew that voice though... It was Tonks! Tonks was here, but why? Wouldn't Lupin and other people be here too then?

"Yes, he should be fine;" He heard a male voice say. The shapes came into sharper perspective... A man in a lime green robe was standing at the foot of his bed talking with Tonks. There was Lupin talking to Mrs. Weasley and Ron talking to Hermione, none of who seemed to notice that he was awake. But he saw Hermione look in his direction and she yelled...

  
"Harry!" 

There were whispers around the room. Hermione walked forward, "Harry, we were so worried! You were out for a week! The Dursleys even came earlier! We thought... We thought you well died."

"I didn't...er- what's today anyway?" Harry asked.

"July 30... They postponed your hearing, until you're well again," Hermione said calmly, but she looked on the verge of tears. 

"I feel fine, honestly!" He said, but as he moved he felt a pain run up his side. 

"You don't look it, mate." Ron said looking Harry in the eyes. Harry knew he was being truthful with him. "Oh, here" Ron said as he handed him his glasses. Everything came into even sharper perspective... He saw a cast on his right arm... But wizards didn't use casts... What if he was in a muggle hospital? 

"Don't worry, you're not at a muggle hospital, mate... You're at St. Mungo's. But the muggles took you to a muggle hospital near London and they put a cast on your arm... The healers can't figure out how to get it off though." Ron said. Hermione gave him you're-really-stupider-than-I-thought look. "What?" Ron said.

"What Ron should have said is that the Dursleys took you to a muggle hospital and they put a cast on your arm and it is healing Ok so they're not taking it off. They think it would be safer if they just leave it on, instead of possibly hurting it further by moving it."

"Why? I moved it a lot when it was broke," Harry replied.

"Well er- you're uncle snapped it pretty bad... So bad that they had to put pins in your arm. So the healers didn't want to mess with it," Ron said looking Harry in the eyes, again he knew that Ron wasn't being dishonest. 

The room fell into silence as Professor Dumbledore walked in. Wearing long robes of Navy blue with yellow stars and moons. His eyes twinkling beneath the half moon spectacles and his beard gleaming brightly. 

"Ah, Harry, I see that you are awake," Dumbledore said, his voice calm.

"Yeah," replied Harry looking up. 

"Molly, Nymphadora, please round up the kids, I'd like to have a word with Harry," Dumbledore said looking at Mrs. Weasley and Tonks. Tonks now had bright blue hair that was spiked up into the air.

"Yes, Albus" they both said and Ron and Hermione walked out of the room with Tonks and Mrs. Weasley. "Remus you should go too," Dumbledore said to Professor Lupin. He nodded as though he already knew what Dumbledore was going to say and didn't have any curiosity what so ever. As soon as Dumbledore heard the door shut he began...

"Harry, I've given some time for the prophecy to sink in. I believe that you had another apparition?"

"Er- Yes, Professor," Harry replied not meeting Dumbledore's eyes. 

"Harry, I must know... What was your visualization about?" Dumbledore asked.

Harry explained his whole vision and Dumbledore listened intently. When he finished he asked, "Professor, do you think I'm going to end up in Azkaban?"

"No, Harry, I don't. Visions aren't always correct, but I believe that Dolores Umbridge is deceased. She was a deatheater working for Voldemort. 

"Harry, the Order and I discussed letting you join this summer, now that you have escaped him four times that you could handle being in the Order. If you wish to we will change the rules so that you are admitted."

"Yes, Professor" Harry replied, making eye contact with Dumbledore.

"Are you sure, because there is no way out of it once you join?" 

"Yes, positive," Harry replied. 

"Very well... The next meeting is August 15th at 7:00 in my office... I want you to stay at Hogwarts for the remainder of the holiday for apperation lessons and so you may learn useful spells to use against the dark forces... Mr. Weasley and Miss. Granger may come too if they like." Dumbledore stood and straightened his long robes. "Harry I want you to take Occlumency once again, but I won't make the mistake of Professor Snape teaching you... I will teach you in N.E.W.T Potions and Occlumency. Professor McGongall wants you to become an Auror and I daresay it would help the Order greatly."

"Professor, I didn't get the paper with the scores of my O.W.L's-"

"You are wondering what you got? Well, I brought my copy of the scores incase." He handed Harry a piece of parchment. In Defense against the Dark Arts, Charms, Transfiguration, Care of Magical Creatures and to his surprise Potions he scraped all O's, which were the highest grade that Hogwarts offered. In Divination and History of Magic (Which he passed out during and was the reason Sirius was dead) he got P's. 'P' meant Poor, which was what he thought he'd be getting in Potions. And in Astrometry he got a 'E' which was Exceeds expiations. 

"I daresay you did dreadful in Divination and you're a true seer... Your predictions are up to four," Dumbledore said smiling.

"But, Professor, how could I be a seer? Whenever I did tealeaf reading or crystal ball gazing I didn't see anything, except fog," Harry replied perplexed. 

"Harry, you didn't see anything, because you didn't believe you would see anything. You have to focus your mind. So there for, I am putting you in N.E.W.T Divination this year, the art of Divination is rare and they're very few seers left. I think, if I'm much mistaken... it would turn out to be more useful then your visions," Dumbledore said and then added. "Harry is there anything troubling you?"  


"Yes, Professor," Harry said truthfully. "It's my fault Sirius and Cedric died, and I know it."

"Harry that is only a weakness Voldemort will feed off of. As I have already told you Sirius's death is my fault. But Cedric's is neither yours, nor mine but Voldemort's. Didn't I say that, 'Voldemort's gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great, We can only fight it by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust-'? He tries to break us apart, by killing loved ones and friends. He destroys families and friendships."

Harry just nodded.

Dumbledore stood and took out his watch, which had a lot of hands. "Ah, Harry I must be going back to Hogwarts. Enjoy the rest of your holiday." And he walked over toward the door. "Harry, don't worry you'll be out of here soon. I'll be sure of it," And he left without looking back.


	3. Chapter 3: Prospect of War

Prospect of War

Chapter 3

The next few days were boring. The healers took off his cast and attempted to fix his arm, which worked, but it still hurt more then when it was broken. His recovery was going slow. So slow that a few people in his ward came in and left already. He had a bandage over his scar, which seared with pain every now and then and bled. It now was a daily thing. 

Dumbledore came and went a few times over this period... And every time he'd reassure Harry that he'd get out of the hospital soon. His trial was cancelled, Dumbledore assured the Minerstry that it was an accident and they agreed to let him off "under special circumstances." 

Dumbledore was made the Minister of Magic, the whole Wizarding community agreed that Dumbledore would run the magical world better then Fudge. And it never ceased to amaze Harry how Dumbledore found time to be Headmaster at Hogwarts and Minister of Magic.

About three weeks after his collapse, he was going home... And actually going home... to Hogwarts where he belongs. That morning Dumbledore stopped by and told him to get his things for Hogwarts together and as he did so pain seared across his scar, making him feel dizzy. He clung onto his bed for support so he wouldn't fall face down. He shook it off and returned putting his books away, but he couldn't get rid of his dizzy feeling. He changed into a red shirt with the Gryffindor logo and a pair of jean cut-offs. 

He looked in the mirror and a skinny boy with messy black hair and a white bandage with a bloodstain over where his scar resided. There was blood through out his hair, because he didn't have a chance to take a shower since he arrived. His right arm was heavily bruised and cut. There were few scars from the surgery at the muggle hospital. As he looked up he saw Dumbledore and a few other wizards and witches following him. 

"Harry if you are ready, come here," He said not making eye contact with Harry. _Did he expect to see Voldemort looking back at him? _

Harry stood and still felt dizzy. He knew some of the people as Tonks, Mr. Weasley, Lupin, Mad-Eye Moody, and a lot of other people that were apart of his advanced guard and other people who Harry didn't recognize. 

"Hello, Harry!" Tonks said cheerfully. Her hair was now bubble gum pink and spiked. 

"Hi, Tonks," Harry replied not so cheerfully. His head was still spinning and he felt light-headed. 

"Are you ready to go, Harry?" Dumbledore asked kindly.

"Yes, Professor" replied Harry who was feeling nauseous. "Er- Professor, how are we getting to Hogwarts?"

"I was going to attempt to teach you how to apperate to get there... It really isn't a hard thing to do," Dumbledore replied blissfully.

"Er- don't you have to be seventeen?" Harry inquired.

"Not since I've become Minister of Magic, Harry. I think all students thirteen and up should be allowed to apperate as long as their parents want them. And any student may do magic outside of school... As long they're not in sight of a muggle," said Dumbledore calmly.

"Oh," Harry said. 

Soon they were walking out the doors of St. Mungo's and back into the real world. The sun was blazing and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. 

"OK, Harry concentrate on my office. Then say to your self '_pperat-ay Hogwarts_,' It's as simple as that."

"Ok," Harry said and concentrated hard on Dumbledore's office and muttered, "_pperat-ay Hogwarts_!" There was a little 'pop' and he was gone with in a blink of an eye. He landed instantly right in Dumbledore's office. The paintings stirred. There were about thirty tiny 'pops' and all of Dumbledore's guard appeared in the office. 

"Very good Harry! Here," he said and flicked his wand and a tiny card appeared out of mid-air. He handed it to him and there was a picture of him and it had a lot of information about him, like his eye colour, date of birth, hair colour, etc. "Harry if you're wondering what this is it's your apperation license. You must have one to apperate." 

"Ok," replied Harry and took it and quickly put it in his pocket. 

"Now, I think you should get some rest Harry, you look pale still," Dumbledore said, sitting down behind his desk. "Nymphadora, show Harry to his sleeping quarters."

"What I'm not staying in the Gryffindor common room?" Harry asked looking at Dumbledore. 

"No, Harry. I want you to stay somewhere closer to my office. So you shall be staying in a room down from my office, it's behind the portrait of Godric Gryffindor. It will only let you in or if you tell Godric that you invited them. You are to stay there during the school year also. Ron and Hermione may stay with you.

"It isn't a punishment, but for your safety, because if Voldemort attacks he'd go to the Gryffindor Common Room, I put an escape chute that leads to a room above the Ravenclaw common room. 

"Also I'm going to make you head boy for this year, which will make you the youngest head boy Hogwarts has ever seen. 

"I am going to teach you to duel for when the final battle comes you will be ready-"

Mr. Weasley spoke up, "Final Battle? What does Harry have to do with this?" He asked shacked.

"Everything," Dumbledore replied. "He, Harry, is the only person that can bring Voldemort down again."

"Even if he gets killed? Albus, this is a huge burden for Harry to have-"

"The greatest of all," Dumbledore said. 

"Harry's only sixteen!" Said Mr. Weasley furiously. 

"Harry has faced as much as you or I, probably more. Harry understands what he must do." The conversation was over. Tonks walked forward and inclined her head to Dumbledore and then walked out the door with Harry following. They went down the spiral staircase in silence. They turned left and after taking about ten steps they came to the portrait of Godric Gryffindor. 

"Who are you?" The painting asked.

"Harry Potter" replied Harry in a small voice. 

"What form does your patronus take?" Godric asked, obviously making sure he was the real Harry Potter.

"A stag, it's always a stag," replied Harry. The portrait swung forward to reveal a large room. The walls shone like the moon and the floor was wooden. In the main room there was a black carpet with the Hogwarts crest in the middle and the house symbols around it. The fireplace was crackling merrily and there were two leather couches facing the fireplace with two chairs on the sides. There were a few tables with large puffy black chairs. There were bookshelves lining the walls, so many that it looked as if there were more books here then in the library. To his left was a door that led to the dorms. He walked up fascinated and Tonks followed. 

The dorms looked even bigger then the common room. The walls were a light blue almost white; there were three beds in each of the ten dorms. Each of the beds was four posters with black hangings and silver sheets. He saw that his trunk had been brought up. He walked back down, Tonks once again followed. 

"This was supposed to be one of the houses, but the founders kicked out the fifth when she was still in construction, so last year, Professor Dumbledore found it, and he fixed it up. Dumbledore might have told you, I wasn't paying attention, but Ron and Hermione are coming and also the people who would be in danger of Voldemort." 

"Ok, Are they coming over the holiday?" Harry asked. 

"Yes, They all should be arriving here in the next couple of days." 

"Ok," Harry said and then sat down on his bed. 

"Oh yeah, if you ever need to see the Head Master, there's a secret hatch down in the common room." Tonks paused; she heard the portrait open. 

"Where do you think Harry could be?" One of the voices, the voice of Ron Weasley asked, what seemed to be Hermione.

"Probably upstairs, lets go see," said Hermione, there was the sound of footsteps coming up the steps and then....

"HARRY!" Hermione shrieked as she wrapped her arms around Harry. "When did you get here? Isn't this place great? We get to share it with the rest of the D.A.! Because we're all in danger of Voldemort, Draco told his father and his father told Voldemort! We're still doing D.A. right?" 

"Can't-Breath!" Harry gasped. Hermione released him, muttering sorry. "It's all right. Yeah, we're still doing D.A. as long as the rest of us still want to." 

"Yes!" Hermione shrieked. "Oh, Harry how are you feeling? I felt so bad when Dumbledore brought you to St. Mungo's." 

"I'm fine, really. So I guess we're staying here for the rest of this year?" Harry said looking at Ron.

"Yeah, mate, Hannah, Cho, Ernie, Luna, Justin, Parvati, Pandama and Neville, the rest will be here tomorrow." Ron said looking Harry in the eyes. 

Tonks walked downstairs and out the portrait. Harry felt a sharp pain in his scar; he fell to his knees, clutching it.

"It's getting worse," he muttered to himself. 

"Mate, What's getting worse?" Ron asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Scar," was the only word Harry was able to get out before he passed out. 

__

The night was falling over the town of little Hangleton. And in the graveyard, there stood many black cloaked men. All of who had wands pointed out. It was eerily cold for a summer night as this. The coldness was due to the presence of Dementors.

A man stood in the centre, hood down red eyes gleaming in the night. 

"The prospect is war, Deatheaters. Now the final step is being taken and soon I will _be immortal. All there is, is one more step and then my path to Harry Potter, is complete, all you must do is kill Albus Dumbledore."_

"HARRY! Mate wake up!" Ron was yelling. 

Harry saw that he was lying on the floor in the dorms still, yet, he had no memory of ever falling to his back, and he bolted upright. 

"Wha-What happened?" Harry said looking up, confused. 

"You blacked out and you were muttering, stuff like, 'Deatheaters, now the final step is being taken and soon I will be immortal. All there is, is one more step and then my path to Harry Potter is complete, all you have to do is kill Albus Dumbledore.' What was that about?" 

"I dunno, It could be-, no. It couldn't... I have to talk to Dumbledore!" Harry said, alarmed. 


	4. Chapter 4: Welcome to Hogwarts

Welcome to Hogwarts

Chapter 4

"_Harry, I'm going to have you study Occlumency once again. Professor Snape will no longer teach you, but I will. I want you up here every Wednesday at 6:00 after classes._" Dumbledore's words rang freshly in his mind.

His defense training wasn't going as good as planed, but all the same. He was improving. According to Dumbledore they all were complex spells that even Voldemort's closest deatheaters have trouble with at first. 

It was two days before Hogwarts was supposed to be starting and him and the rest of the students that were there were sitting waiting for Dumbledore so they could go to Diagon Alley to get their things for the next year. 

"Harry, what all do you have this year?" Ron asked. "I mean what classes are you taking this term?"

"Defense against the Dark Arts, Charms, Transfiguration and Potions..." Harry said, looking at Ron.

"You're taking Potions? I'm not, I wanted to be an Auror, but I messed up on my Potions exam. And you know Snape, he only accepts those who have 'O's, What are you taking Hermione?" Ron asked looking over to Hermione. 

"I really would like to be a Healer, so I'm taking Potions, Herbology, Transfiguration, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts and Arithmacy, I just can't stand to drop that," Hermione said, looking sincere. "So, what are you going to do Ron?" Hermione asked him.

"I er-, Thought I'd work in the Department of Magical Games and Sports," Ron said flushing red. "All you need is a N.E.W.T. in Charms and an O.W.L. in Care of Magical Creatures. Mum wasn't too pleased when I told her, though. I think she was afraid I'd turn out like Percy." 

"Is everybody ready to leave, via portkey?" Said Dumbledore who just walked in. Mostly everyone nodded. "All those who can apperate may, by all means, apperate to Diagon Alley." Harry nodded in return, and Dumbledore picked up an old car tire, "Portus," he muttered and then handed it to Ron, and everybody besides Harry took hold. 

"Has everyone here traveled by Floo-Powder before?" Dumbledore asked and they all nodded. "OK, on three-one, two, three." And they were gone in a blink of an eye. Dumbledore turned to Harry, "Ready?"

"Yeah, So it would be like, 'Pperate-ay Diagon Alley'?" Harry asked Dumbledore.

"Correct," and with that Dumbledore disappeared with a little 'pop'. Harry imagined Diagon Alley and then said to himself, 'pperate-ay Diagon Alley'. He heard a little pop and then he was there. 

"Bloody Brilliant!" Ron said, who was right next to him. "Where'd you learn?" Ron asked.

"Dumbledore," Harry replied. 

"Everybody meet back here at, four. I want two groups of seven and one of eight. Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, Ginny Weasley, Cho Chang, Dean Tomas and Luna Lovegood is group one. Group two is Katie Bell, Parvati and Padma Patil, Colin and Dennis Creevey and Lavender Brown. Group three is made up of, Ernie Macmillian, Justin Finch-Fletchy, Hannah Abbort, Anthony Goldstien, Michael Corner, Zacharias Smith. Each group will have a member of the Order of the Phoenix, Group one's Remus Lupin, Two's Professor McGongall and Three's Snape." 

Harry felt bad for group three, _Snape_... he thought bitterly to himself. He had to endure two more years with Snape... his least favorite teacher at Hogwarts. 

"Come on," Lupin said and started walking toward Grigotts. "I expect some of you need to get some Galleons, Sickles and Knuts?" Lupin asked them politely. Some nodded and others muttered 'yes'. They walked in and got a cart and a goblin drove them to their vaults. Harry got a sack full of Galleons, and then before they knew it they were walking out and starting to buy their things. 

For the first time he looked at his list, he needed:

__

Defend yourself against the mortal Foe, by Abviforth Sunibe

__

The Curse and Counter curse, by Tim Sabitini

__

The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 6, by Miranda Goshawk

__

An Advanced Guide to Transfiguration, Ermic Switch

__

Moste Potente Potions, by Alice Lancaster

Harry looked at the last book again... _Wasn't the book they used for the Polly juice potion in their second year_? Harry asked himself. And then said, "Hermione... isn't _Moste Potente Potions_ the book with the Polly juice potion in it?" She responded with a quiet yes. 

After getting all of their books and their coin bags considerably lighter they stopped for lunch, for it was only one. After lunch they had to go to Madam Malkamime's robes for all occasions and Ollivanders, because Neville needed a new wand. And then to the Apothecary to get things for potions. 

***

Harry and the rest of the D.A. were getting ready for term to start, it was 5:00 and the students were due to be there in about a half an hour. Harry just realized something... What if first, second or third years needed protection too? 

"Hey, Colin" Harry said, and Colin automatically walked over. "Tell your brother to ask third years if they want to join the D.A., I'm getting Hermione to help me with the First and Second year drafting... Tell everyone if his or her younger siblings are in danger to see me, ok?" 

"Sure thing, Harry!" Colin said enthusiastically. 

"Oh, yeah, tell the rest of the D.A. to get their things together, because once term starts officially we are going to be staying by houses, gender and year. Even though the floors are already divided into boys and girls rooms... Dumbledore's going to add a room for wing for each house while we're at the feast."

"Ok," Colin said and then walked out. Harry was all alone once more. The time went by quickly and Harry quickly got deep in though. 

__

I have to kill Voldemort... I must and I know it... Some way or another... I really think I should tell Ron and Hermione about the prophecy. They'd understand... 

But what if they didn't? What if they though him to be the next Lord Voldemort? 

"Harry, it's time for the feast. Are you ready to go?" Hermione asked. 

"I need to change into my robes... I'll be down in a few minutes." Harry said and started to get dressed into his robes.

"I'll wait, I'm in no hurry, we do have ten minutes," Hermione said. He dressed faster and then pinned his Head Boy badge to his uniform and walked out of his dorm. He wanted to tell Hermione about the prophecy. He didn't know what to think about it. 

"Harry why are you looking so down?" Hermione asked, looking concerned. 

"It's just... I mean last year after.... After Sirius died, Dumbledore told me why well, why Voldemort wanted me dead." It was hard for Harry to talk about Sirius, he missed him alot, and perhaps more then even he knew. 

"What, Harry, what is it?" Hermione asked, sympathetically. 

"Well, I er- Dumbledore, I mean, told me... I-It was because of a prophecy, made by Professor Trelawney... That's what was in the bowls in the Department of Mysteries... My fate... And Voldemort wanted to hear what it was." Harry said, in monotone. He told Hermione exactly what the prophecy said.

"Well, I think you should figure out what that means. And I can't help you defeat Voldemort, only you can." Hermione said and pushed the doors the Great Hall open. 

Mostly everyone was already there... Malfoy smirked at Harry and Hermione as they crossed the hall to the Gryffindor table. Harry sat next to Ron and Hermione sat across from them both. Harry yawned. 

"What's up mate?" Ron asked.

"N-no-nothing... just t-tired," Harry said through yawns.

"You slept till noon," Hermione said, looking at him, "How could you possibly be tired? Unless...."

"Unless what?" Harry asked, slightly confused. 

"Unless, you're getting the Wizard's flu," Hermione said, thoughtful. "But don't worry... It only would last a few days; hardly anyone gets seriously sick from it."

"Seriously sick?" Harry repeated.

"It happens in about one out of one thousand cases. You just are really sick for a few days, and it's hard for you to control your magic." Hermione looked to the teachers' table, "You should tell Dumbledore."

"He knows," Harry said, looking up to Dumbledore. He knew he was right. 

Harry sneezed. 

"You all right?" Ron asked. 

"Yeah, fine..." 

"Welcome to a New Year at Hogwarts! To the old comers, welcome back! To the new comers welcome to Hogwarts! Let the Sorting Begin!" Dumbledore said. The sorting hat's mouth opened and it sang...

"Every year I sort the students

Into there desired house.

It has been almost 1000 years,

Since I sorted my first.

The founders were pleased,

As the first class took their place,

In history as we know it,

For the great halls first feast,

Maybe gryffindor,

Is where you should reside?

In bravery the students

Take their pride.

Or maybe hufflepuff,

Is where you belong?

Those sweet and loyal hufflepuffs,

Will never steer you wrong.

For ravenclaw,

Maybe your new home,

For wise old ravenclaw,

You will be known.

For Power hungry Slytherin

If your ambitions are true

You will never stagger nor fall

People will know the real you.

If you have a future in one of these

Step forward...

And become the majority

At Hogwarts school of Sorcerery."

McGongall read the first name off of the list: "Arnold, Alexis." A girl with long blonde hair walked up and sat beneath the sorting hat.

"Gryffindor!" Harry along with the other Gryffindor's clapped as Alexis Arnold took her seat next to Seamus. 

"Anderson, Lauren!"

"Hufflepuff!" The Hufflepuffs clapped.

"Basil, Andrew!"

"Ravenclaw!" Harry saw Cho Chang clapping. She smiled when she saw him looking at her and he returned her smile.

"Basil, Vince!" 

"Gryffindor!" Harry clapped welcoming Vince Basil to the Gryffindors.

"Chuma, Jason." 

"Ravenclaw!"

"Copeland, Mike."

"Slytherin!" The Slytherin table busted into applause.

"Desimon, Melissa." She went and sat next to Jason Chuma. They weren't sitting far from Cho...

"Ravenclaw!"

"Everly, Elliot!"

"Slytherin!" The Slytherins clapped as Elliot, who was at least a foot shorter then the rest sat at the Slytherin table.

"Harvey, Julie."

"Ravenclaw!" She sat next to Melissa and they started talking.

"Hormell, Rhonda."

"Hufflepuff!" The Hufflepuffs applauded. And she went and sat next to Lauren Anderson. 

Harry fell out of attentiveness and only paid attention every once in a while. He heard when "Plummer, Ashley," was made a Slytherin and "Santore, Ashley," was made a Ravenclaw. But the rest he didn't hear. The next thing he heard was Dumbledore stand up and say, "Tuck in!"

Harry wasn't hungry so he didn't eat. Ron found this strange... because Harry normally pigged out during the start of the term feast. Besides the sick feeling, Harry's scar was throbbing... It didn't bleed though. He took a potion that morning to prevent it from bleeding. 

He could see faint shapes, and hear faint whispers....

****

"Our path to Harry Potter is almost complete.... Very soon he will irk me no longer. For, I Lord Voldemort, will soon become immortal at a very costly price... Harry Potter will share my immortality, and I can not harm him... We have to do it soon..." 

Voldemort's voice faded out... Harry coughed. 

"What's up, Harry? You look even sicker then you did a few minutes ago... and you're really pale. You should go to the Hos-"

"No," said Harry firmly. "I'm not going to go to the hospital wing... I'm fine OK? I just... had a though..."

"About Voldemort?" Hermione asked. 

"Er- Yeah... How could you tell?" Harry asked, Hermione.

"I could see a tiny trace of red in your eyes... It was as if I was seeing him... And I felt cold. And you had an expression of fear and only one thing would ever cause you fear, and I know this is true... Lord Voldemort." Hermione sounded frightened. "Are you going to tell Dumbledore?"

"No, like I said before he already knows," pain seared across his scar again. "And I wish this would quit hurting!" Harry said fiercefully... rubbing his scar.

"You OK?" Ron asked concerned. 

"This isn't normal... something's wrong... It's never hurt this bad... not even when he possessed me... I'm going to the common room... the Gryffindor password is 'Stumfy' Tell the Hufflepuff prefects that the password to their common room is, 'Helga,' OK?" Harry said, rubbing his fist along his scar again.

"Sure, Harry, do you want me to come with you?" Hermione asked, sympathetically. 

"Yeah, Harry, I can handle the-!" Dumbledore cut off Ron. 

"Now that we all have ate and drank, I have a few announcements. We have two new teachers. Filling the Defense against the Dark Arts position is Professor Remus Lupin."

The whole Gryffindor table clapped hard... 

"And filling the Potions position will be Professor Nymphadora Tonks. We will also, by Minerstry Order, and in confirmation that Voldemort..." most of the students gasped, "returned there will be Aurors positioned around the school.

"Also, Quidditch cup will start in November, House teams will stand the same as before last season. Unless, you were drafted onto the team by the team last year.

"And finally I'd like to announce, if anyone is afraid of Voldemort killing them, or in grave danger in Voldemort's reign in terror, please come and see me right after this speech. Go to your head of house and they will bring you to me, and the people in charge of the D.A., or so they call it, will show you your accommodations... Only those who are worthy of admission will be allowed to enter the D.A. Common Room. I will give the leader a list and he or she will show you the common room." 

They walked out. About twenty, first years, Harry noticed walked up to their heads and about twenty-five second and thirty, third. Harry set off up to his common room ready to turn in from a long day. His scar prickling uncomfortably.


	5. Chapter 5: Across the veil

****

We want everyone to think the same Because you know what you know is right And you feel what you can't ignore And you try so hard to point the blame A shame- what are we doin' this for? The cause- we're just doing it for the cause The cause- we're just doing it for the cause -NoFx: The Cause

Across the Veil

Chapter 5

"What do you have today, Harry?" Ron asked through a mouthful of pancakes. 

"Er- I got a Double period of Potions... And then in the afternoon I have A double period of Transfiguration," Harry replied. He rubbed his scar. "And I don't know what's wrong with this thing... It's been like prickling since last night... And it just feels weird... I don't know... It just never did this before." Harry looked to see Hermione sitting down at the Gryffindor table, "What do you have Hermione?" Harry asked her.

"Oh, yes, well I have, Potions like you, I see, and then Transfiguration like you, of coarse. Ron you should really be an Auror... go and see McGongall... She'll give you the same class-" Hermione was cut off. The bell rang signaling the beginning of their first class. They bid Ron fair well and headed toward the dungeons. 

They stopped at the potion classroom door and stepped in the quince of students waiting to enter.

"Well, Well, Potter, had visions lately?" Draco said walking up behind them, with a smirk glued to his face.

__

He knows! Harry thought to himself. "No." Harry lied.

"Liar... The dark lord knows, Potter..."

"Knows what exactly, Malfoy?" Harry said, trying to keep his voice from shaking.

"You know what I mean... Or maybe you are really that thick... Let me give you a hint... S-C-A-R, get it?"

"What about my scar?" Harry said quickly, not thinking about what he was saying.

"Hmm... Lets think..." Draco said in mock-thought, "A, how it hurts when you're near him, feeling powerful emotion or having a vision about him... B, he knows he can get into your mind-" Harry cut him off.

"I know he can get into my mind... he did it last year. How come you know my scar hurts whenever he's near me?" Harry asked.

"Just remember, Potter... He knows!" Draco said then walked into the room.

"Git," Hermione muttered as they started into the dungeon... 

Which changed alot... it was now well lit, and no longer looked depressing... there no longer was the jars of strange things hovering along the walls, but extra Cauldrons and books... There were about ten long tables five on each side, each going a step higher in elevation. The floors were no longer stones, but oak wood and the walls were pearly white. There were five burners with cauldrons on them at each table. The Gryffindors were sitting on the left side of the room while the Slytherins were on the right... 

Harry saw Malfoy roll up his right sleeve and made it so that Harry could see it. It was red, like a scar... But as Harry was looking on it, he saw the past... He could still see the present though....

__

"Give me your arm, Wormtail," Said Voldemort, lazily. 

"Thank you, master, thank you," Wormtail said extending the bleeding stump.

"The other on Wormtail," Voldemort replied. Wormtail extended his left arm and Voldemort pushed his robes past his elbow... Wormtail gave a fresh sob. Voldemort touched the dark mark with the tip of his long white finger....

"Damn it," Harry said... his scar searing with pain, Harry looked to see Malfoy had a look of pain on his face, more so fear...

"Today class," Tonks said as she walked out of her office... her hair was now short and black with blonde tips... she was wearing a long black robe with "Minerstry of Magic, Auror," written on the sleeve in gold letters. She wore a suit looking shirt under it with a black tie, with the Minerstry of Magic crest pinned to it. "We'll be starting work on Polly Juice Potion, This will take about the first four months, and then we'll be starting on a potion, for those who wish to become an animigus. But of coarse Professor McGongall will get more into that with you. Then we'll work on other morphing potions, raise your hands, how many of you are in here to become Aurors?" Tonks asked brightly.

Harry raised his hand, hesitating, and he saw that about 95% of the class had their hands raised too...

"Ok, hands down. Today anyway like I already said, we'll begin work on the Poly Juice Potion. The ingredients are on the board;" she pointed to the board where there were the ingredients that they'd need for today. "And instructions will be on the paper I pass out in a few minutes. Please get your ingredients and then sit back down."

The class got up and then walked and picked up all of his ingredients and then sat back down quietly. He put his things in his cauldron and then picked up his bag, it was almost time to leave.

"Oh yes, before class is finished, we have an assignment... I want everyone to write five inches of parchment about the effects of the Polly Juice Potion." Tonks said then sat down behind her desk. 

As they walked up to the Great Hall for lunch Harry said to Hermione, "Tell Lupin that I'm sick... I'm not going to Defense against the Dark Arts.... I'll be by later to see what I need to do, because I don't feel good again. And no, I'm not going to the hospital wing... Madam Pomfrey probably couldn't do anything for me anyway. It's my scar that's been making me not feel good."

"Harry well you should do something... ask Dumbledore, he should know." Harry just nodded.

"I'll go and talk to Dumbledore, ok?" Harry said and then shook his head barely, and then Harry fell to his knees and closed his eyes in pain. "Get Dumbledore..." Harry said and then passed out.

***

"Harry," he heard a voice it seemed distant yet close at the same time. He opened his eyes and saw Sirius there. 

"S-Sirius?" Harry stuttered. 

"Yes, I can only be here for a while though, then you have to go back. They need you," by _they _he meant Dumbledore and the Wizarding community. 

"But- Am I dead, too?" Harry asked confused. 

"Yes, but you can go back to your functional body," Sirius said.

"But Dumbledore said there's no spell that can bring back the dead," Harry muttered quietly. 

"Yes, _we _can't go back, but if you know you have to, you can... It's hard to explain, really... But since your proper body wasn't destroyed or anything, like mine or your mother and father's, you can come back... and your mother and father didn't give up their lives for you to die, without leaving everyone with something they'll remember." 

"But, I don't want to go back... I was suffering back on Earth, like my scar kept hurting..." Harry said. And there was no one pointing at his scar. And no one seemed to see him except for Sirius. 

"You have to go back, Harry, don't you see? You must conquer Voldemort... or it will be the end for everyone on Earth." Sirius said.

"I understand," Harry said, quietly.

***

"Harry," he heard Dumbledore say quietly. He heard him turn and then say to Ron and Hermione, "Sorry... He's dead." 

"No..." Ron said quietly. 

Harry opened his eyes barley, all the shapes were blurry, he tried to talk, but he couldn't. He felt heavy... one of the blurry shapes walked over toward him.

"Harry James Potter," Dumbledore replied softly. "He looked so much like James, I can't believe it..." Harry opened his eyes further. "You're alive?" Dumbledore said quietly. 

"Er-" Harry said quietly. Hermione let out a joyous shriek and Ron smiled. 

Dumbledore gazed into Harry's eyes. Which were no longer green, but hazel, like his dad's. And his scar was no longer red it just now was pearly white.

Dumbledore stood and walked out of the hospital wing and he noticed that he _had _his glasses on. He took them off and saw that he could see perfect. 

Cho walked in and then shrieked, "Harry, you're OK!"

"Yeah," He said, he looked at her and she ran over to him and launched herself on to the bed and embracing Harry in a hug. 

"Harry, I'm so sorry about last year. I shouldn't have brought up Cedric," she said and then kissed him on the cheek. 

"Cho, do you want to go to Hogsmead with me on Halloween?" Harry asked her.   


"Oh, Yes!" Cho said happily. She kissed him on the cheek and then walked out of the hospital wing humming to herself happily. 

"So you and Cho are speaking again, I see," Hermione said, smirking.

"Er- I guess so," Harry said smiling. 

"Potter, I want you to stay here for the next few days, to make sure you're fit to go. It shouldn't be more then three days... Ms. Granger, could you bring Mr. Potter's homework to him daily?" Madam Pomfrey said who had just walked out of her office and stopped behind Hermione.

"Sure, Madam Pomfrey" Hermione said and sat on the bed to the right of Harry's. 

Madam Pomfrey walked into her office and closed her door.

"Hermione," Harry said urgently, "When, I supposeivly died... I-I saw Sirius..." 

"You-You, saw Sirius?" Ron repeated quietly.

"Yeah, he- well he told me that if I died everyone on Earth, is going to die... Voldemort would conquer all... and something like, they need me... I think he meant us, like the good, it just... messed with me... and I think there was something that _wasn't _spoken... Something that I had to do... like to stop Voldemort...."

"Weird..." Ron muttered.

"You know what's even weirder? Sirius told me the reason I could come back was because I have unfinished business... Like with Voldemort... but he couldn't come back because he doesn't have a body to come back to... I wish he would come back though." Harry looked to the floor.

"It's OK Harry..." Hermione said and there came a loud yelp coming from somewhere beneath them. And then a Dumbledore followed by Professor McGongall came into the hospital wing in a rushed manor. 

"Mr. Weasley, Ms. Granger please tell the Gryffindors to go and use the shoot. Mr. Potter please go to your common room. There has been an attack by Voldemort... Mr. Creevey was taken by the Dark Lord."


	6. Chapter 6: The Fall of the Boy Who Lived

**__**

So all for one and one for all, do we ever wonder why. Though the reasons clear, this friend so dear was taken before his time. -Dropkick Murphys, Curse of the Falling Soul

The Fall of the Boy-Who-Lived

Chapter 6

The disappearance of Colin Creevey didn't go unnoticed at all. Everyone from teachers to students to ghosts was about the only conversation heard around the castle. Everyone wondered who would be next. Harry just wondered when they'd capture him.

Harry looked out onto the distance and saw the Quidditch Pitch, _I wish I wasn't banned... wait... I might not be... I gotta ask Dumbledore! _Harry thought as he walked down the slopping lawns on the first Saturday of the term. He wanted to relax by sitting down by the lawn. He finished his homework and was caught up in all of his classes.

He laid back deep in thought. _How long before Voldemort gets me? _Was his main thought...And forgetting about the time. When Harry opened his eyes there was a girl, probably in the first year standing over him.

"You're Harry Potter?" The girl asked. 

"Er- Yeah... I am..." Harry said sitting up. "Who are you?" 

"Bella Tonks, Nymphadora is my aunt... I'm a half... my dad is Nymphadora's oldest brother... He's really nice, a metamorphigi too... I wish I were one though... you know... It would come in handy some of the time. Nymphadora told me Sirius died... I'm sorry, he was really nice..." She cut off. Then looked at Harry, "You miss him don't you?" 

"Yeah, but I know he's at a better place with my mum and dad," Harry replied simply. 

"That's good. Anyways I came to give you something... my dad told me that Sirius was going to give this to you." She handed him a key, "It's the key to his Grigotts account," she explained.

"Oh," Harry said and took the key. He tucked it safely into his pocket. 

***

When he returned to the common room neither Ron nor Hermione were there. He sat down across from the fire on one of the couches. Harry looked over to one of the tables and saw the _Daily Prophet_. It's main headline read:

_ _

The Fortress of the Shadows, back?

There were two reported people missing since the beginning of term at Hogwarts School, reports Daily Prophet reporter Rita Skeeter. Colin Creevey, 16 and Josh Stalvy, 13 both pupils at Hogwarts were reported missing over the last couple of days. 

Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts, says this is the thing he feared. And that he will be sure that no other student will be captured. 

Few students were able to comment, When asked who they thought would be next some responded Harry Potter, and others just plainly responded with a, "I don't know," or no comment. 

Ronald Weasley, 16, who has been Harry Potter's best friend since the first year, didn't seem to be worried about loosing his best friend. When asked to comment, he simply said, "Harry has been through alot... and I know he wouldn't let You-Know-Who even try to get to him." 

Theodore Nott, 16, thought Harry Potter would be next and he will end up dead.

Harry stopped reading, because his scar was throbbing. He felt hot breath on the back of his neck. He heard a cold voice, _maybe Malfoy Sr.? _Say, "Potter, you know how long I've been waiting for this?" The voice was too high to be Malfoy... Could it be Voldemort? _No.... _Harry said to himself _Voldemort can't get near Hogwarts... But what if he could and Dumbledore was wrong? And plus the voice was higher then Voldemort's...._

"_Petrificus Totalus_!" Harry heard the voice say, Harry felt as if he was freezing. He fell hard onto his back. He looked up to see Wormtail, the murderer of Harry's father and mother standing above him. 

"Wormtail, you dunder-head! You can't do anything right! Master said bring the boy to him in his _normal _state not petrified!" A cold female voice said... the voice of Bellatrix Lestrange. He saw her pull out her wand and wave it and the spell lifted and she pulled him to his feet. But she let him fall forward so that he could see the floor. And Harry couldn't do anything to prevent it. 

Wormtail took a piece of cloth out of his pocket and gagged Harry with it. Someone pulled his shirt up and he felt a sharp needle go into his spine, his scar burst with even more pain. The pain in his spine resided, but the pain in his scar was so great that he couldn't see.

"Come on, Potter" Bellatrix said, quietly. 

Harry would have said he'd rather die, but he couldn't say anything because of the material. Bellatrix pulled him toward the window, and then turned to Wormtail, "Did you bring the brooms?" She asked.

"Yeah, they're hidden in the Forbidden Forest," Wormtail replied. Bellatrix took her wand out and muttered "_Accio Firebolts!_" And there was a zooming sound. Followed by Wormtail and Bellatrix forcing him on the one in between the three brooms. Bellatrix climbed to his right and Wormtail his left.

Harry thought, what if he could pull off a Wroski Feint? Could he shake them off? He could try, he grabbed a hold of the broom handle and pushed it down, he was flying as fast as he could go, Bellatrix was behind him and gaining, Harry sped his broom faster, the ground was coming closer...! He was almost there... He heard Bellatrix yell, "Potter, are you crazy...?" He was at about 10 feet; Bellatrix was right behind him. Five... he pulled up and to his amazement Bellatrix did too. 

__

Where could he go that he'd be safe? And then it hit him... _Dumbledore's office..._! _Where was it though? _He knew where Flitwick's was, Thirteenth window from the right on the west tower, could he risk it? ...Dumbledore's office was above his dormitory... Gryffindor tower... Where should he go? What if he flew to Grawp? 

He turned and flew up at a seventy-five degree angle, he flew straight and he saw a wall of deatheaters waiting._ Where'd they come from? _Harry wondered. They were flying toward him, he took his right hand and pulled out the piece of material and threw it to the ground, and he flew straight down and then flew straight trying to get past the wall of Death-Eaters. About five of the deatheaters had their wands out and they cried, "_Impedimenta_!" And he flew backwards off of his broom and was falling, into coldness and misery. He felt the cold of a dementor, and felt the pain of hitting the ground at full force; he saw blood, _his own blood, _and millions of red stars blurring his vision. 

"Dolohov, go and get the Dark Lord! Malfoy, Nott, Jugson, Rodolphus, Macnair, Avery, Rookwood, Snape make sure Potter stays conscious! Crabbe, Goyal, Rabastan, Wormtail, make sure no one is coming, and I'll make sure Potter won't pass out," she pointed the nose of the broom down and flew straight toward the ground. She landed next to Harry. 

"Bellatrix, we can't - stop - the - bleeding! He's going to bleed to death if Dolohov doesn't hurry! Merlin's beard... I never saw such a bad wound; Dumbledore could save him... even if it means turning one of us in to the Minerstry. Dolohov won't be back for about an hour," Harry heard Snape say.

"Get him, Snape, but we'll be out of here and you'll be the one to die," Bellatrix said. 

Snape nodded and then hurried to the castle, Bellatrix turned to Malfoy, "Does he have a pulse?" She asked him.

"Yes, but it's very slight," Malfoy said. Voldemort followed by Dolohov were walking up the slopping lawns. He stopped next to Harry and said in his cold voice, "give the boy some skele-grow, and stop the bleeding. I just need him to be alive for a few more months, so it doesn't matter if he's sick or not." He looked around as if sniffing the air and then said quietly, "Dumbledore."

There were about 20 tiny 'pop's' and then they were gone. Except for Bellatrix who was kneeling over the boy. Dumbledore came running over to them. 

"Lestrange, back away from the boy!" Dumbledore said, furiously. And she did so. Dumbledore walked over to Harry and knelt down. He pulled out his wand and muttered something and the bleeding stopped.

"Lestrange, summon me a stretcher!" Dumbledore said while making sure Harry was still breathing. Bellatrix did so, and incredibly fast. The stretcher flew to Dumbledore and then he laid Harry on it. 

"Aren't you going to save him...?" Bellatrix said so fast, her words seemed slurred.

"I've done all that I can do, the only thing I can do now is sit back and wait... and hope for the best. Harry will be fine, as for you; you are to stay in my office, until I figure out what to do with you." 

"Fine," Bellatrix said not liking to be at the mercy of her foe.

***

"Harry Potter" said a voice that was far and yet close at the same time. 

"I don't mean to be rude, or anything, but who are you?" Harry asked and then opened his eyes more and saw his dad. "Dad?"

"Yes, Harry. You must go back to your body... If you die one more time I can't allow you to go back to Earth. You must be careful. Right now your life signs are very weak, last time you were here they were great, you can make it..."

"My body's completely trashed. I fell off of a broom about 50 feet up onto my head." Harry said and he could feel dried blood on the back of his neck. 

"Yes, you did. You're a great flyer; I watched all of your games. It wasn't your fault you fell, it was Dolohov's, but that doesn't matter... you have to go back _now_... We didn't give up our lives f0r a you to die at the age of 16," His dad walked over and touched his shoulder and then he felt a falling sensation. He hit the bottom of time and space and he saw he was back in his body, and the pain was underway once again. 

"Ah..." Dumbledore said walking over to Harry. "You're awake, I'm afraid to say you almost died yet again. I need you to drink this;" he handed him a cup full of skele-grow. Harry took the cup and drank it. 

"You should be fine, with rest," Dumbledore said. He looked deep in thought. "Voldemort doesn't want you dead at the moment. He was trying to save you, you know?"

"Only because he needed me for something... I heard them... talking..." Harry said quietly. 

"Still Voldemort saved your life. You'd be dead now if it weren't for him."

"I wouldn't be here if it weren't for Voldemort, if it weren't for him I'd still have my mum and dad." Harry tried to sit up but Dumbledore forced him back down.

"Harry now listen to me. I want you to get as much rest as you can, OK? I'm going to leave the room and I'm going to lock you in, no visitors. I will talk to Ron and Hermione and tell them what happened." 

"Ok," Harry said weakly and then fell asleep once more. 


	7. Chapter 7: The Outcast

__

Will I find this place where I belong? (Find this place where I belong) Can you protect me from my troubles? Keep my safe from harm? Will you help me carry on? -**Dropkick Murphys-The Outcast**

Chapter 7

Outcast

After a few days he was out of the hospital wing, and back in classes. Dumbledore halted his Occlumency lessons for a few weeks or however long Harry doesn't feel up to it. Ron and Hermione were helping him out with his homework more then normally, but Harry had no problem with it. 

For the last couple of days Harry's temple's have been throbbing, he asked Dumbledore and he said that would go away in a few weeks. He was improving in potions and his Polly Juice Potion was almost perfect. 

He wasn't allowed to do what the rest of the class was doing in Transfiguration nor Defense against the Dark Arts. Charms were the only class he was allowed to do magic in, because they were just reviewing from last year. 

In Transfiguration they were starting human transfigurations. Harry was forced to do a 5,000-word report on human transfigurations and what happens when someone is an animigus illegally. 

In Defense against the Dark Arts he spent the whole period defining curses and counter curses. 

He walked out of Defense against the Dark Arts, his books in his bag that he slung over his shoulder. He set off for Dumbledore's office for his training against the Dark Lord.

"You're not making the circle with your wand, this way," he took his wand and made a perfect circle and then flicked his wand and lavender light came out of Dumbledore's wand. 

"Ok," He did the same as Dumbledore and though of something dark happening to Dumbledore, but only a purple vapor escaped his wand.

"Concentrate... Imagine Voldemort in pain; imagine all the pain he caused you to be inflicted upon him."

"I'm trying!" Harry yelled, and then he dropped his voice lower, "Sorry." He muttered embarrassed at his actions. 

"It's all right. Try again," Dumbledore urged. 

He thought of Voldemort feeling _his _pain, and _Voldemort_ feeling the power of the Cruciatus curse. He pulled up his wand and made a circle and then flicked it harder then he intentioned to do. There was a bright neon purple he heard Dumbledore yell, "Stop!" Harry threw his wand to the ground and the purple dimmed. Dumbledore was standing behind his desk.

"You need to learn to control your spells. That could of killed someone, even yourself. I want you here tomorrow after classes, we'll work on the philosophy of some of these spells. I don't want you to practice this spell unless you can control it, fully. Now, I'm going to teach you a popular Legitimist charm. If you were facing the Dark Lord, I'd like you to be prepared to read his mind if he could read yours. It would make Occlumency easier. I daresay you'll find it useful." 

"When do I have time for homework?" Harry asked Dumbledore. 

"I'm giving you exemption from homework until you finish training. And you are to do normal classes, no more defining terms," Dumbledore said. 

"Professor, can I ask you something, about my scar?" Harry asked Dumbledore and saw that the twinkle behind his half-moon glasses extinguished. 

"I believe you just did, but you can ask me one more," Dumbledore said looking at Harry.

"My scar's been hurting, really bad... and. it hasn't been bleeding, but like when I'm sitting in the middle of a class, I'll see Voldemort... and I don't know what's real or fantasy any more... not after... Sirius died, anyway. Before I thought anything, I dreamt was real... but I don't know what is real and what isn't..." Harry started.

"Believe only what your heart truly believes. As for your scar, I think I may know, or I may not, I can only build on the theories I made when you were a child. Voldemort's growing stronger, on the verge of immortality. But he can't go yet, without bringing you with him, you'd become Immortal without knowing it. And every step he takes you can feel _his _pain. Voldemort is still human, and as long as you are here he can't become immortal, no matter what." 

"Ok, one last question, What if the prophecy wasn't meant for me at all, but Neville?" Harry asked Dumbledore.

"As I said before, Voldemort chose _you _finalizing the prophecy. _The Dark Lord _will _mark him as his equal, _and he did. Thus, fulfilling the prophecy. So there's no doubt in my mind that it _is _you that the prophecy speaks of."

"So I'm going either be a murderer or the one murdered?" Harry asked, bowing his head a little. 

"Yes, I'm afraid so," Dumbledore said. Harry nodded and then turned on his heal and walked out of the room, somehow knowing he should. At a last glance Dumbledore looked older and wiser then he normally did.

He walked down to the "D.A." common room and sat onto one of the couches.

"Mate, what's up? You look depressed," Ron said taking a seat next to him. Harry sighed. 

"Nothing... Just thinking," Harry said softly. 

"Is is about You-Know-What?" Hermione asked him. 

"Yeah," Harry replied. Ron looked baffled. 

"You-Know-What?" Ron asked, looking at Harry. And Harry broke his eye contact and looked to Hermione. She nodded.

"Dumbledore told me what was hidden in the bowls in the Department of Mysteries," Harry said quietly and then told him exactly what he told Hermione. "And I asked Dumbledore tonight if it was possible that it wasn't me, and he said it is me and he's sure of it." 

"What does, '_Either must die at the hands at the other-'_"

"'_For neither can live while the other survives,'_ it means I either have to murder Voldemort or he'll murder me," Harry said stressed he stood up, "I'm going to bed." And then he left. He walked up to the dormitories and changed into his pajamas. As he lay there he wondered, _where is Voldemort? _He closed his eyes and imagined doorway open to Voldemort's thoughts. And a voice came to his mind...

__

"Harry Potter is as good as dead... I will regain immortality and I _will be unstoppable... The werewolf venom will soon enter his immune system and he will receive the werewolf powers...._"

Harry jolted up and looked around. _Did I just read Voldemort's mind? Am I a Legitimenthist? Am I going to die, for the third and final time soon? Will Voldemort be unstoppable like he thinks? Can I stop him? Am I a werewolf, and not safe, like Lupin? _Were just some of the things that were going through his head. He never knew that so few words could mean so many different things... It was so confusing.

He laid back down and tried to empty his mind of all thought, and for once he succeeded and fell into a deep sleep.

"HARRY GET UP!" Ron bellowed, and Harry jumped. 

"Ron.... W-what time is it?" Harry yawned, sitting up.

"Nine. I brought you some breakfast, it's downstairs... Oh, yeah and Dumbledore told me to give this to you," Ron handed Harry a piece of parchment that was sealed with the Hogwarts crest. He opened it and read: 

__

Harry, I am giving this to you to read because there is a traitor among us. There isn't anything within my power that I can do and no evidence. The traitor is Draco Malfoy... stay away from him. He is a trained animigus and trained at the unforgivable curses. If you do happen to come in contact with him, use your training. 

What I am to teach you is for you to know only. Do not teach anyone in the D.A. or Ron and Hermione. 

I've changed your schedule thusly: 

Monday: 

1&2 Potions, N. Tonks

Lunch

3&4 Dark Training, A. Dumbledore

5&6 Quidditch Practice

Tuesday:

1&2 Defense against the Dark Arts, R. Lupin

Lunch

3&4 Occlumency, A. Dumbledore

  
Wednesday:

1&2 Transfiguration, M. McGongall

Lunch

3 Quidditch Practice 

4 Theory of Magic, F. Flitwick - A. Dumbledore

Thursday: 

1&2 Charms, F. Flitwick

Lunch

3&4 Legitimacy, A. Dumbledore

Friday: 

1 Care of Magical Creatures, R. Hagrid

2 Divination, S. Trelawney 

Lunch

3&4 Quidditch Practice

Also, by order of myself, you are to be the Captain on the Gryffindor Quidditch team and you are to redeem your position of seeker. You need to find two chasers and two beaters Mr. Kirke and Mr. Sloper resigned this morning. And Ginny Weasley would like to try out for Chaser.

P.S. After you read this letter burn it with the Flame charm.

"Who's it from?" Ron asked, trying to peer over Harry's shoulder to read it, but Harry took out his wand and burned it before Ron could see anything.

"Dumbledore, of coarse, I'll be back later... I've got to do something;" Harry said and then walked out of the room. Ron followed him. 

"What's up? What'd the letter say? Why are you acting so strange?" Ron asked him.

"Look, I can't tell you everything the letter says, but all that I can tell you is I have a new schedule and I'm Gryffindor Quidditch Captain, and Seeker. Do me a favor and tell Katie that we have practice Monday for two hours after classes, Wednesday third period, right after lunch and Friday last two classes. Monday will be Try-outs for the two chasers and beaters... Kirke and Sloper resigned." Harry took out a piece of parchment and sat it on the table and wrote. 

__

Gryffindor Quidditch team Try-outs

Monday evening-After Classes

Two Chasers and two beaters

Sign your name along with the position wanted under this sign. Then meet on the field of the Quidditch pitch right after classes. Brooms are not required. 

"Make another one and put it in the Gryffindor common room." Harry instructed Ron.

***

Monday's class went by in a flash and soon he was in the locker room, with his Firebolt sitting beside him. Dumbledore had taken it from the Security Trolls and escaped without a scratch. He walked out onto the field with Katie and Ron by his side and saw that about 50 people showed up. 

Ron handed him the sign up sheet and both were filled up. He looked up and then said, "OK, now could you split into two lines? Those of you that want to try for Chaser."

They did and Harry sat two school brooms down on the pitch. "If you have your own broom you don't have to use the schools. OK, now I want two of you and Katie to try to get the most goals out of 20 Quaffles." He opened the crate and took the Quaffle out. He threw it to Katie and she caught it. "First pair come up here and write your name down on this list so we know who you are." 

The first pair did so and they were Alexis Arnold and Ginny. Ginny had her own broom, which Harry thought it was Fred's, or George's. They both kicked up off of the ground and Ginny was a brilliant flier and Alexis wasn't that great. Katie passes the Quaffle to Ginny and she caught it and scored. Ginny got all 20 in. Alexis got only one in and it looked by accident.

The tryouts went on for about an hour. Finally the last group came up. And it was Hermione and Mark Evans. Hermione was an OK flyer but Mark was really great. Hermione got 19 in and Mark got 20. 

All of the people that tried-out formed a circle around him Ron and Katie. Katie and Ron both agreed on Mark and Ginny.

"The new Gryffindor Chasers are Ginny Weasley with a score of a perfect 20 and Mark Evans also with a perfect score of 20. Now we need those of you who'd like to be beaters." The line was shorter only of about 10 kids. Hermione was in this line too, along with Dennis Creevey, and Lavender Brown. 

"This is how this is going to work: you pick your partner and you have to control the bludgers and get them through the rings, which ever group gets the most in are the new Gryffindor beaters."

The first two were Seamus and Neville. Seamus wasn't that bad, but Neville was. Neville kept hitting himself with the beater bat and missing the Bludger. They got three through the hoops, while Dennis Creevey and one of his friends who Harry didn't know their name got nine. Hermione and Lavender's group was up next. They were superb. They got all ten. The other groups must have been a joke or something, because the other four groups only got from zero to two. 

The beaters circled Harry and he announced, "The new chasers are Hermione Granger and Lavender Brown." There were alot of disappointment in the air, and the people that didn't make it for either Chaser or Beater walked up to the castle. An owl flew down and landed on Harry's shoulder. It was Hedwig. 

"Read it Harry!" Ron said.

Harry took the letter from Hedwig and read,

__

Mr. Potter

Since you have drafted half of the team tonight, I would like the whole Gryffindor Quidditch team to select new uniforms. As long as they have Red and Gold on them.

We will be starting a Hogwarts International Varsity and Junior Varsity Quidditch Teams this year. The winners of the Quidditch cup (Which will be held in November.) will be our varsity and the runner's up will be the junior varsity. 

I'd like to see Gryffindor have the Cup and the spot of Varsity this year, and that is why I am sending this. You may get seven new brooms from Quality Quidditch Supplies when you go there for your uniforms.

I'm getting quite accustomed to seeing the Cup in my office; Potter and I don't want to see it go to Professor Snape. Good-Luck this year. 

Professor M. McGongall

"We're getting new brooms and uniforms!" Harry said to all of the Quidditch team. Harry didn't really like the idea of getting a different broom. Sirius had given him his Firebolt...

"Brilliant! Is there a limit? Can we get Flame Torch 5000's? Or could we get the Moon Trimmer 2004?" Ron said, ecstatically.

"We can get what ever we want," Harry replied, faking a grin. 

And at that moment he realized something.... _I'll always be the outcast... I'll never fit in... I'm tied to Voldemort through my scar... I'll never be normal.... I'll never fit in...._

---------------

First of all.... I'd like to thank all of my reviewers

Kurbani 

Mella DeRanged 

ParanoiaIn2005

RowlingFan1 

Anne Phoenix 

Thanks! Review more and I'll type up Chapter 8 as quickly as I can! It'll be easier because I only have band practice twice a week now instead of five. 

The more you review the faster I type!


	8. Chapter 8: The International Hogwarts Qu...

****

Fight fight you'll never win (this is our life) Tonight ill start again (this is our time) Fight fight you'll never win (this is our life) How will I make amends (this is our time) This is our life This is our time This is my life Dont waste my time.  
Your wife cant understand you And you've alienated your oldest friends Breaking back and fingers to the bone Buring candles at both ends Tired of this petty life you lead A series of dull events A two-bit, half-assed effigy Of someone else's dread

-_Dropkick Murphys: This is your life_

Chapter 8

The International Hogwarts Varsity team

The morning of the first Game of the season dawned and the Gryffindor Quidditch team met in the Common room before going down to the changing room. 

"Today, It's great weather for Quidditch. We better bring back a win and live up to our name of the Gryffindor Gryffins, and most of all we want the Varsity squad!" Harry said. "Let's kick some Slytherin ass!" And they walked down to the changing rooms as they changed into their uniforms Harry's scar gave a nasty throb, but he shook it off. 

The Gryffindor team had two games that day, four if they won both. Gryffindor versus Slytherin and Gryffindor versus the winners of the Ravenclaw versus Hufflepuff game. Dumbledore had added an extra Quidditch pitch for the tournament.

Gryffindor walked out onto the pitch and it was Mike Copeland from Slytherin announcing. 

"Gryffindor's flying out onto the pitch, Captain Potter, Weasley, Weasley, Bell, Evans, Granger and Brown all riding Moon Trimmer 2005's, the newest model!" Mike said with great gusto, "And the Slytherins, Captain Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyal, Bletchley, Warrington, Pucey, Little all riding Nimbus 2001's! Captains shake hands... And it looks like Potter and Malfoy are trying to break each other's fingers!" Harry and Draco _were _trying to break each other's fingers until Madam Hooch stepped in the middle and said:

"Now I want a good clean game from all of you," and then she threw the Quaffle into the air and released the Bludgers and the walnut sized golden snitch. Harry rose to a height he hadn't reached on his broom since the death eater attack, which seemed so long ago. 

"And it's Gryffindor in position, Weasley passes to Bell who passes it to Evans, back to Weasley she scores! 10-0 to Gryffindor!" Mike was saying over the game, as Harry searched for the tiny snitch he saw that Malfoy was following close behind him. 

"Slytherin in position... Pucey passes to Warrington, he misses the pass, intercepted by Evans he speeds up field, and nothing can stop that boy! He shoots-no passes back to Bell; Bell passes it to Weasley, and passes way across the field to Evans he scores! 20-0 Gryffindor!"

"Little takes the Quaffle, Slytherin in position; she passes to Pucey, first shot of the game on Weasley... Slytherin scores! 10-20 Gryffindor!" 

"Gryffindor has the Quaffle... Weasley has the Quaffle... A bludger is flying toward Weasley! It misses her by Meir inches! She passes it to Bell; Bell passes back to Weasley... She throws; it's no good, Slytherin with the Quaffle...."

This went on for about an hour before Harry even spotted the snitch. The score was 150-100 Gryffindor. Harry zoomed downward; Malfoy blasted out in front of him.... _Come on _Harry urged his broom forward. He was gaining on Malfoy... Harry felt a sharp pain in his side and he knew a Bludger had hit him, he kept flying. His fingers numb against his broom surface. His whole left side was going numb, but he didn't care, all he cared about was getting the snitch....

The snitch turned up and so did Harry, now he was in the lead.... It was going straight.... He flew after it... he was so close he could taste it.... He stretched out his right arm while his left held his broom.... He felt his fingers wrap around the tiny acorn sized struggling ball and then a sharp pain as he got hit with an uncontrolled bludger. He rolled off of his broom and onto the pitch itself. He felt this sensation once before... in his second year, when he broke his right arm playing Quidditch.... 

"Gryffindor wins 400-100, but the Gryffindor Seeker is injured!" Mike said. 

Harry sat up, wincing at the pain in his arm. Professor McGongall, the Gryffindor team and the rest of the Gryffindors stood around him. Madam Pomfrey came hurrying over to where they were. 

"Out of the way, out of the way!" Madam Pomfrey said as she pushed her way through the crowds. "No more Quidditch for today, Potter," she said and mended his arm and put a brace around it. She then mended his side, where he thought he broke a few ribs when he got his with the bludger.

"But... But..." Harry stammered. "My team needs me! I'm their seeker! If I'm not playing we'll loose and not have a chance-"

"Potter, calm down! Your team will have other chances," Madam Pomfrey said.

"No, we won't, with out team this year! Our team is GREAT this year! We could bring back the National cup for Hogwarts!" Harry said.

"Poppy, he does have a point, Gryffindor is the only team that has good enough players," and Professor McGongall said looking her in the eye.

"All right! Potter; just keep that brace on under your pads!" Madam Pomfrey stomped out of the pitch. Harry got up and saw Ron grinning.

"You were brilliant! I never saw anyone fly like that!" Ron said enthusiastically. 

"You weren't doing that badly yourself," Harry told Ron. 

"Yeah I was... I let in ten goals...." Ron said looking at his feet.

"Not as bad as Bletchley! He missed twenty-five," Hermione said.

"Gryffindor! Over here, you're playing Hufflepuff!" Professor McGongall yelled to them.

"C'mon," Harry said to the team... they marched to their locker rooms and had a "pep talk" and then walked out onto the field.

"Here's Gryffindor, Captain Harry Potter and Ravenclaw, Captain Davis. Last Game Gryffindor won by 300 points and Ravenclaw won over Hufflepuff by 100. To progress Ravenclaw has to score 300 points. The winner of this game will play the winner of the Hufflepuff verses Slytherin game, and the loser will play the loser of the other game." 

The game started and within a few minutes Gryffindor was up by fifty points. Ginny, Katie and Mark were playing great and Harry was watching them play, instead of looking for the snitch. He didn't come back to his senses until a bludger barely missed him. He started his search once more. 

"And it's Gryffindor in possession... Weasley passed to Katie-Intercepted by Davis! Davis flying down the pitch, he shoots-Blocked by the Gryffindor Keeper Ron Weasley! He passes it to Bell.... Ravenclaw seeker seemed to have seen the Snitch! There she goes!" 

Harry saw that she indeed saw the snitch but she was out of control... She was going to crash into the ground. The snitch flew toward the goal post and Cho smashed into the ground. Harry flew toward the goal hoops and caught the snitch. He flew to the ground and helped Cho up; she was fine.

"Gryffindor wins over Ravenclaw: 200-20! Ravenclaw will play Hufflepuff, and the winner of that game will face off with Gryffindor in the Finals. Slytherin is totally out of the running." Ryan Lenk, a third year Ravenclaw yelled over the crowd, magically magnifying his voice. 

Hufflepuff beat Ravenclaw, 150 - 50 so Gryffindor was playing them. Gryffindor was undefeated so far and Hufflepuff was 2-1. Gryffindor beat Hufflepuff 200-60. The four teams were standing at the presentation ceremony after the games were over. 

"The winners of the Quidditch Cup and the Varsity squad is the Gryffindor team, boys and girls come up here and receive your uniforms and patches for your school robes. Harry Potter," Professor McGongall said and Harry walked up and took his uniform. It was black with silver stitches and a silver inside. The Hogwarts crest was stitched into the sleeve of the left arm and the Gryffindor on the left side of his robe. He had a black turtleneck with a single silver stripe over his chest, his pants were silver and his pads were black with black converse. Potter was sewn onto the back in silver letters with Seeker under it in smaller letters. 

"Ronald Weasley..." Ron got his uniform it was the same except it had Weasley and Keeper written on the back. 

"Hermione Granger," Hermione took her uniform. 

"Ginny Weasley," Ginny took her uniform and carried it gently.

"Wait 'till I tell mum," Ginny muttered quietly. 

The whole team got their uniforms and then Professor handed the Hufflepuff team the junior varsity team their uniforms, which were silver with black stitches and black insides and instead of the Gryffindor crest on the chest it was the Hufflepuff crest. 

"The game is against Durmstrang, All of you," she pointed to the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff teams. "Will be removed from your classes Friday first period to leave. The game will take place at Durmstrang and you will be spending the whole weekend there, so bring your house robes and Quidditch robes. And make sure you bring your wands, you will be given a Hogwarts duffle-bag to carry your things in." Professor McGongall waved her wand and fourteen duffle-bags appeared, each with their names embroidered in them. She handed them to every member of the team. 

"Now," Professor McGongall said looking around, "here's your schedule for all the games. Get to bed." Professor McGongall started up toward the castle and Harry looked at his schedule and saw that they played teams in America, France, and even China. 

When Harry did fall asleep he fell asleep with alot on his mind... and the thought of why hasn't my scar been aching? Was aching him about as bad as the migraine he had. 

((A/N: Whoa.... I typed that fast.... in one day I'm getting fast, huh? Don't expect chapter 9 for a few days though.... my wrist is killing me.... so, I might start typing chap9 tomorrow...:-/))


	9. Chapter 9: The Snapped Wand

Chapter 9

The Snapped Wand

The next morning Harry woke up and looked around, he thought it to be a dream. In yet, he couldn't remember anything of last night; all he remembered was blacking out on his bed. But his uniform and schedule proved his theory correct. He was on the Hogwarts Quidditch team. 

He walked down the steps into the Common room to see about ten people gathered around the message board all muttering dully to their selves. Harry looked and saw a sign erected above the Quidditch team notice that made Harry's heart sink. 

__

Professor Snape shall henceforth be the permanent Potions Master.

Ryan Lenk, the Ravenclaw announcer muttered something to himself. And so did about fifty other students. However Luna looked delighted. Harry sunk into a chair apposing Luna.

"Why are you so down? I mean you can drop that subject," Luna said happily. 

"No, I can't. I want to be an Auror, so I have to have Potions," Harry explained annoyed.

"You'd be good at that," Luna said quietly. And Harry couldn't help but smile. 

"Thanks," he muttered.

***

That morning at Breakfast everybody was talking about Snape returning. Some of the students came up with wild stories of Snape being eaten by a basilisk and somehow returning from the dead.

Harry knew where Snape had been, serving the Dark Lord Voldemort, as a spy for the light. He knew this because of what happened the month before when he fell from his broom. Snape looked to Harry and Harry returned his glair, Harry wanted to say something like, 'I'm still here,' but Snape wouldn't hear him. Snape looked as if he understood. Snape turned his head and started talking to Professor McGongall. Harry looked away and his scar gave a nasty throb.

"Isn't it weird? The last time my scar burnt was when Snape touched me, and it hasn't since, but now that he's back it's hurting again," Harry said quietly. 

"Harry, you seriously need to think of other things besides Voldemort and his followers. You're driving yourself insane!" Hermione said, and then looked as if she said something foul. 

"Going mad am, I? Let's see who's mad when Voldemort attacks! It's not like he's going to pity anyone including a mudblood like you!" Harry closed his eyes and bowed his head. "Sorry, I don't know what made me call you a, you-know-" 

"Quite alright," Hermione said, and then opened her Transfiguration book and started to read. 

Cho came walking over to his table looking depressed. She sat next to Neville. She didn't look at him or notice he existed.

"What's up with her?" Ron asked. And then Harry remembered he was supposed to have met her on Halloween. 

"Cho," Harry said quietly.

"What?" She snapped.

"Sorry I didn't meet you in Hogsmead on Halloween, I was in the hospital wing, _again._ And I've had so many things going on in my life that I just, I dunno... forgot" Harry said to her. She smiled a little. 

"I know you were in the hospital wing out cold on Halloween, with a fractured skull. I don't think this is working out so I think we should just be friends," Cho said sincerely.

"Fine," Harry said and got up from the Gryffindor table and walked out of the Great Hall. Ron followed him and he was muttering about some people being assholes. 

***

The next day the Gryffindors marched off toward the Potions dungeon. The day was gloomy and it was raining. This made Harry irritated because they were supposed to be practicing after classes. 

"Why couldn't Voldemort have killed Snape?" Ron asked and Harry shrugged. Hermione had talked Ron into taking all the same classes as Harry. Ron had changed his schedule to match Harry's without the training.

"Well, Potty's still here, Pity you won't live to graduate," Malfoy said, weaving in and out of students and smirking. Harry snorted.

"Pity, Malfoy that you cant keep your big mouth shut," Harry said coldly.

"Potter, I know the Dark Lords plans... and believe me none of them are good. You're going to die" Draco spat.

"Well your old mate Voldemort," Draco looked fearful as Harry said his name, "has been trying to kill me for the past sixteen years, I'd be more afraid if Voldemort-" Harry said, but Draco cut him off. 

"Potter, you dare speak his name? You filthy half-blood scum. You dare besmirch it, you dare..." Draco was fuming. He sounded like Bellatrix when Harry had a conversation, not actually a conversation, with he about a topic close to this one.

"Didn't you know Voldemort is a half-blood? His dad was a muggle, and his mum was a witch.... I still didn't get my answer whether he's been telling you; Death Eaters he's a pure," Harry said smirking now. 

But within a minute the smirk faded and Harry had Draco's wand pointed at him. The wand was pointed straight at Harry's heart.

"Potter, you dare... You'll meet the same sticky end as your parents, soon..." Draco said walking forward. Harry backed up, without a wand out. He looked to his sides and saw neither Ron nor Hermione had theirs out either. "How about a little dose of pain, Potter?" Draco was smirking.

"You know Malfoy, there are witnesses standing around us. And it'd make a nice story for the _Prophet_, you know, First Malfoy Sr. then Malfoy Jr. to be thrown into Azkaban for Death Eater related crimes," Harry said trying to cover up the fear in his voice. 

Draco snorted. "I'd plead bewitchment, and you know I could always slip the Wizengamot some gold."

"Like father like son," Harry replied. "You'll end up in Azkaban-" he was cut off by Draco saying 'Crucio'.

The head-splitting pain of the Cruciatus curse hit Harry at full force... he didn't scream... and he didn't fall. He wasn't going to give Malfoy the satisfaction. His scar was burning and his eyes were watering with pain... then it lifted. 

"Malfoy, I know hexes and jinxes by the dozen, some there is no counter curse for, because no body ever saw them, how about that? Don't make me use them on such an unworthy cause," Harry said furiously. 

"You just don't want to use them because you can't," Draco said and Harry thought of causing Draco pain, immense pain.... Harry concentrated and pulled up his wand and made a circle, the next thing he knew was that he was flying backwards and his wand was flying up through the air. He hit the ground with a loud thump and he felt a hand pull him by the back of his robes to his feet.

"One hundred points from both Gryffindor and Slytherin for Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Potter's little duel. Fifty points from each of you two," he pointed to Ron and Hermione, "for letting it happen. And Potter and Malfoy a weeks worth of detentions my office six o'clock. Potter follow me to the Headmasters office, for the rest of you sit in your seats until I return." 

Snape turned on his heal and walked out and Harry nodded toward Ron and Hermione to bid them farewell and he set off right behind Snape. They stopped at the stone gargoyle that guarded Dumbledore's office. 

"Bertie Blotts," Snape said monotonously and the gargoyle stepped aside allowing them entrance. They went up the spiral staircase, Harry's scar was burning dully on his forehead, and Snape marched through the door and into Dumbledore's office.

Dumbledore was sitting at his desk, writing something, and Fawkes was looking over his shoulder. 

"Headmaster, may I speak to you in private?" Snape asked and Dumbledore nodded. And Snape looked to Harry and said "Potter, sit."

Harry sat, and stared uselessly at the ceiling. He didn't know how long he was staring but he came back to his senses when Dumbledore sat down and Snape slammed the door. Harry looked into Dumbledore's relaxed blue eyes. 

"Harry, didn't you take my warning seriously? To stay away from Mr. Malfoy? Ah, of course Voldemort must of put a spell around him, your wand didn't make it I'm afraid..." Dumbledore sat a few pieces of wood up on the table. There was a golden phoenix feather laying in the middle of the ruined wand. 

"Professor, how did it break?" Harry was very fond of his wand. It had saved his life once before... When Voldemort tried to kill him the day he returned. He forced the wands to do Prior Incantatem. 

"You put a bit too much power through it, I'm afraid; it wasn't _quite _as reliable as Voldemort's, of coarse." Dumbledore smiled weakly. "I'll be taking you to Diagon Alley in a few minutes, go and get your money and then we'll go." 

"I have about twenty galleons with me, professor" said Harry earnestly.

"Ready?" Dumbledore asked him as he stood up.

"Yeah, _Pperate-ay Diagon Alley_" said Harry and he was gone with a tiny 'pop'. There was another 'pop' and Dumbledore materialized beside him. 

"Follow me, Harry," Dumbledore said and led the way to Ollivanders. They walked in and it looked the same as the last time he was here. Cramped from wall to wall with skinny wand cases, a single wand lay on a faded purple cushion.

"Ah, Harry Potter" said a soft voice from behind the counter. The voice of Mr. Ollivander. 

"Good day," Dumbledore said cheerfully. 

"Mr. Potter, new wand? Ah, yes, you were quite a tricky customer, holly, phoenix feather eleven inches...Quite a different combination... let me see" he pulled a wand off of the shelf and handed it to Harry. "Ten 1/4 inches, Maple, Phoenix Feather, quite swishy give it a wave." 

Harry held the wand and flicked it and green sparks flew out of it. Mr. Ollivander snatched the wand out of his hand. After what seemed like the one thousandth wand, Mr. Ollivander said "I wonder..." quietly and took the wand off of the purple cushion. 

"Thirteen 1/2 inches, Phoenix Feather, Yew. Inflexible, here try to cast a difficult spell," he handed him the wand. 

Harry thought of the Gryffindor team winning the International Quidditch cup and said, "Expetro Patronum!" Immediately a stag flew out of Harry's wand and charged around the shop. 

"Bravo!" Cried Mr. Ollivander. "I never thought a wizard would claim this wand! Long ago, my great, great grandfather made two wands; he was a great seer, now he made a prophecy that the two people that will receive these wands would be great. And have a lasting impact on the Wizarding Community.

"Both were of the same wood and everything, it was said that these two were the perfect wands. But one fell into the wrong hands.... Salazar Slytherin's. And it was said that this wand, the so-called perfect wand was handed down through Slytherin's own bloodline for years, until it came to Voldemort's mother, she despised the wand. 

"Slytherin's love for sin was only handed down through the male population. Thus, Skylene Slytherin was frightened of its power so she brought it to me to snap it, and I did so. My father made me put it somewhere in the shop where no one could find it.

"But since there were two, I discovered the other one must be a good one and go to Gryffindor's heir. Godric Gryffindor _did _use this wand, but when he died he didn't want to pass it down through the generations, or so it's told. He was in fear that it would find a dark wizard or witch. He enchanted it so that only his true heir could use it. The heir that could bring down Slytherin's heir. 

"It was also said in the prophecy that Gryffindor's heir would bare a mark, a mark of love. And there's no doubt in my mind that you are Gryffindor's heir, and this wand belongs to you." 

Mr. Ollivander gave him the wand for free. Saying that he knows Harry would bring he-who-must-not-be-named down. 

They walked out of the shop ready to go back to Hogwarts. As they walked down someone from behind them yelled "Oi, Harry!" 


	10. Chapter 10: Secrets Revealed

__

I sit in and dwell on faces past Like memories seem to fade No color left but black and white And soon will all turn gray But may these shadows rise to walk again With lessons truly learnt When the blossom flowers in each our hearts Shall beat a new found flame Must it take a life for hateful eyes To glisten once again Cause we find ourselves in the same old mess Singin' drunken lullabies **-Flogging Molly, Drunken Lullabies**

****

Chapter 10

Secrets Revealed 

They returned to Hogwarts and Harry went straight to lunch, Dumbledore didn't say anything to him. When he walked in everyone turned and stared at him, he guessed they heard about his duel with Malfoy. He walked over to the Gryffindor table and sat between Ron and Hermione. 

"What happened, mate? Did you get in trouble? Are you expelled?" Ron asked him all in one breath. Harry shook his head. 

"What do you mean?" Ron asked him.

"Nothing... I didn't get in trouble and I'm not expelled," Harry replied calmly. 

"But, you were gone all morning! What happened?" Ron asked eagerly.

"My wand snapped. Dumbledore took me to Ollivanders to get a new wand that's all" Harry replied wearily.

"This is awful! I can't believe he did this!" Hermione said from behind _The Daily Prophet_.

"What isn't?" Harry asked her. And she handed Harry the newspaper and Ron looked off of it. There was a large picture of the muggle Prime Minister talking to Cornelius Fudge. 

**__**

Secrets Revealed 

Cornelius Fudge ex. Minister of Magic, is being sent to Azkaban today, for breaking the International Statue of Secrecy. Muggles everywhere know our secret and very few of them are happy about this.

Fudge spoke to the Muggle Prime Minister yesterday evening. He let a few names of some wizards and witches. Harry Potter, 16, current student at Hogwarts School was one of the names mentioned. Another was Ronald Weasley, 16, student at Hogwarts School.

Students must be on the look out for any muggle acting peculiar. As must any wizard or witch. I spoke to Albus Dumbledore, Minister of Magic and Headmaster of Hogwarts earlier today:

"I am taking all the steps possible to make it safe for wizards and witches. I can't just go and do memory charms on them all, now can I? I'm not trying to put those of you with students at Hogwarts to have a false sense of security. They're as safe as being at home, here at Hogwarts. Muggles can't penetrate the walls of Hogwarts unless the Secret Keeper tells them where it is."

When we asked Dumbledore if he was going to tell his students, he replied with a nod. 

"I am going to tell them, however most of them will find out on their own anyway." Dumbledore said with a slight chuckle. 

Harry looked up to Hermione; "I can't believe it... Fudge.... He's like, I dunno... he must want me killed or something! I just can't believe he'd do something like _that_! I mean he's not stupid!" Harry said heatedly. 

"Harry do you know what this means? The muggles will be looking for you. You can't go with the Quidditch team; you stick out more then Ron or me. I mean you're the boy-who-lived. You have the scar, and it's not really hard to miss Harry." Hermione was saying but Harry tuned out. He stood and walked out of the Great Hall and up to the Common Room.

He didn't notice where he was going until he walked head on into Professor McGongall.

"Potter! Do watch where you're going, won't you?" She said, and he nodded. "What's wrong with you?" She asked him staring him up and down.

"Nothing... j-just thinking..." Harry replied stammered.

"About what, Potter?" Professor McGongall asked. "Surly not about You-Know-Who?"

"Er- the Quidditch cup," Harry lied. He knew by Professor McGongall's piercing stare that she didn't believe it.

"Potter, come to my office for a cup of tea, won't you? I have something to ask you;" She said and then pivoted and started marching off in the other direction. Harry followed reluctantly. When they arrived at her office she walked in and sat down behind her desk, she gestured for him to sit down. He obeyed and sat waiting for her to say something. 

"Professor Dumbledore told me to tell you this. Snape, was spying for the light as you may of known. Well, Voldemort found out. So we want you to do the spying for us. Voldemort wants you either on his side or dead. Right now he thinks you're too noble to join the Dark. We want you to act as one of his supporters-"

"Why? Wouldn't that put me at a great risk of dieing?" Harry asked her.

"Yes, it would, also there's always the chance of getting sent to Azkaban, but we need you. We have another Order member in the Death Eater ranks, but they aren't in his inner circle, and you would be. Snape wasn't in the inner circle. We need you to do this Harry." 

"Would I have to get the Dark Mark?" Harry asked and rubbed his left forearm. 

"Yes, I'm afraid so," Professor McGongall said, and Harry's mind seemed to have gone blank. "Before you can do so, Professor Snape is going to test your mind, to see if Voldemort would be able to read your thoughts using Legitimacy." Professor McGongall stood up. "Professor Snape is in my classroom. Through here," she pointed to a passageway connected to her classroom. Harry nodded and walked through. And Snape was waiting for him. He was seated in the front of the classroom.

"Potter, so you're whom they drafted for the new Death Eater spy? I never thought someone as big headed, as you would even try to be a Death Eater. Anyways, Dumbledore told me I have to test whoever they chose. And I suppose that's you," Snape said glaring daggers at Harry.

"I'll test you on three things; you're mind, your tolerance for pain and your magical strength. All of these are important before facing the Dark Lord. Ever get hit with the Cruciatus Curse, Potter?" Snape asked him. Harry nodded and Snape continued. "When you get your Dark mark it hurts about 1,000 times worse. It'd be worse if Voldemort can get into your mind.

"We'll start with the mind test. I know you were taught Occlumency, having taught you this myself... _Legilimens!_"

Harry who had cleared his mind one second previous to the attack didn't see anything; he concentrated on Snape's thoughts. And a few blurred visions came to his mind, Voldemort glaring down upon him, James Potter ridiculing him... And then it stopped. 

"Very good, Potter. I see you improved after that Black died. Now you passed that test, But be heed Voldemort would be harder to get out of your thoughts...

"We'll do the pain part next..." Snape's lipless mouth curled into a cruel smile. He pointed his want at Harry, and taking aim, "Brace yourself, Potter... When the pain gets too intense raise your hand... _Crucio!_" 

And Harry was thrown off of his feet and onto all fours. He bit down on his back teeth, and his eyes were watering in pain, but he knew he couldn't give in. Not there... not now. His head was surly going to burst along his scar, as what felt like a million daggers slashed non-stop along his body. 

After what felt like hours the pain ceased to be and he rolled limply onto his back, trying to catch his breath. He felt as if he couldn't move a muscle. He heard Snape's footsteps and he saw Snape's face look down at him. 

"Potter, could you handle it, or were you just trying to play the hero?" Snape asked Harry.

"I could handle it... but-" Harry started. The truth was he was feeling the after mass of the curse. And he could still feel the pain. His breath was short, as if he was having trouble breathing. He felt light-headed.

"All right, Potter, if you're fine get up. I'm going to keep doing the curse until you are unable to stand, because the pain is so great. If you want to play the hero again, I'll make you see how big headed you are. And when you are facing the Dark Lord you'll thank me for deflating you're head." Snape pulled him up by the back of his robes and then let go Harry swayed for a second and then caught his balance. "You can get yourself out of this situation now, Potter and save yourself the pain... _Crucio!_"

This time Harry was ready, but it didn't make much of a difference, he once again was on all fours and hands against the cold stone floor... he made sure the faintest moan didn't escape his lips. The pain was getting worse, how long did he have before he'd be insane? His hands slipped on the stone and he fell straight onto his stomach and he accidentally let a faint whimper escape his lips. The pain felt ten times worse, I mustn't give in. I _can't_ I have to prove he could take the pain... he wasn't going to let Snape know that he was getting to him. 

The curse stopped and Harry rolled onto his back for the second time, and he lay motionless. All of his muscles cramped up, and his breathing thin and shallow. 

"Potter get up, now!" Snape bellowed.

Harry couldn't, all of his muscles were aching and his scar was throbbing. Snape pulled him up once again by the back of his robes and sat him in one of the desks. 

"Now stand up, Potter," said Snape softly. Harry pushed himself up from the desk and stood in front of Snape. Snape's black eyes glairing down hungrily at him. He stored his wand in his pocket and then grabbed Harry's jaw. "I could break your jaw right now and it wouldn't bother me the least, nor does torturing you. Now, answer me, could you handle the pain, or were you just being thick?"

Harry didn't answer, Snape put more pressure on his jaw and Harry didn't know Snape was that strong. He couldn't have answered if he wanted to. Snape threw him backwards and he fell to the floor and hit his tailbone. He quickly got to his feet.

"Now, ready for another little dose of pain, Potter?" Snape asked.

Harry didn't say anything. He looked Snape in the eye and knew he was going to do it whether Harry said 'yes' or 'no'. He waited for Snape to do the curse, but he then had his wand stuck in Harry's thought. Harry backed up and Snape's wand didn't come dislodged from the front of his windpipe. Harry backed into the wall.

"This time Potter, get back up after I finish the curse, am I clear?" 

"Yes, Professor!" Was all that Harry could get out.

"Good, now" he didn't remove the wand from Harry's windpipe. He pushed harder so that Harry couldn't breath easily. Every breath was shallow and forced. "There are more ways to cause pain besides the Cruciatus Curse; did you know that Potter?" 

Harry nodded.

"You did? Name one," Snape said and Harry took this chance and pushed Snape's wand away and he quickly moved to the side of Snape. "We're not playing games, Potter." 

"We'll you want me to talk, I very much can't talk with your wand jammed in my thought!" Harry shot back. 

"Well then answer me now," Snape said. 

Harry wasn't going to answer him. He wasn't going to play these little games... Snape wanted him to give in. and he wasn't about to give in.

"Ok, seems to me that you don't know. How about I show you all of them? One must be worst then the Cruciatus Curse... Wizards can inflict pain upon each other in different ways... By killing someone close to them or mental pain.

"By killing someone close to them, I mean, when Bella killed Black, you felt pain, did you not?"

Harry didn't answer. He knew the answer. Yes, it did bring him pain. And it still does. It brings him anger too.... He as good of killed Sirius...

"I'd take that as a yes," hissed Snape. 

"Now, you have to be able to get over that kind of pain, like that" he snapped his fingers. "You have to be able to work the Unforgivables at command. If you can't then you could never be a death eater. Now, I will teach you to work them, and how to over power the Cruciatus, but I can't make you learn them. And if you are set and are ready to turn to the Dark Arts then you are ready. If not then you should leave now." 

"I'm staying," said Harry firmly. "I don't want to use the Unforgivables, but if I have to for the light, I will."

"Right, Now I will teach you a few other curses that would come in handy when in the Dark Lord's training program. He will teach you those and only those that he thinks you couldn't use against him. I'm going to teach you one that you could," Snape looked into Harry's eyes and his scar burnt. 

"First off, The Imperius Curse. There isn't a lot of power behind this curse, but an ordinary wizard couldn't perform it. Concentrate on what you want the person to do then say, _Imperius_, OK, now you try."

Harry concentrated on making Snape get away from him, and then pointed his wand at Snape and said "Imperius!" And Snape backed up into the corner. Harry made the spell lift and Snape stood there perplexed for a moment and then walked back to Harry. 

"Very good, Potter. As you might have noticed I didn't fight back, but all the same. Next is the Cruciatus curse. It's harder then Imperius.... You have to want to harm the person... to enjoy it..." 

"Then I wouldn't be able to do it, because I don't want to hurt anyone. I'm just here to be a spy for the Order and help," Harry said.

"Always playing the hero, aren't you Potter? Just like your fool of a father, big-headed..."

"AT LEAST MY DAD DIDN'T DO DARK ARTS, LIKE YOU! HE WAS A _GREAT _QUIDDITCH PLAYER, I BET YOU WERE JEALOUS, WEREN'T YOU? YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN A SLIMY GIT! AND YOU KNOW WHAT? I _WANT _TO BE LIKE MY DAD, AND NOT GO TO THE DARK, EVEN IF IT HELPS THE LIGHT! AND MY DAD WASN'T BIGHEADED, HE KNEW YOU WERE A BLOODY FUCKING GIT! AND I'M NOT ALWAYS PLAYING THE HERO, I PICK WHAT WAS RIGHT INSTEAD OF WHAT IS EASY, AND IF THAT IS PLAYING THE HERO THEN I WANT TO PLAY THE HERO. I CHOSE BETWEEN WHAT IS RIGHT AND WHAT WAS EASY, AND I PICKED WHAT WAS RIGHT. VOLDEMORT CAN KISS MY ASS, CAUSE I'LL _NEVER _JOIN THE DARK!" Harry yelled, and turned on his heal and walked out. Except he felt a hand on his shoulder stopping him and he tried to shake free, but Snape's grip was too strong. 

"100 points from Gryffindor and another weeks worth of detentions!" Snape said, calmly. Harry managed to break free and turned to face Snape.

"For what?" Harry spat, "not wanting to join your old mate Voldemort?"

"Don't say the Dark Lord's name," hissed Snape.

"What are you afraid of old Voldemort? I could care less about you, and i don't see why my dad saved your life! You disgust me," Harry said darkly, not believing the words were his own. And he then turned on his heal and marched out of the room. No one was objecting him leaving. 

***

That night at Quidditch Practice, the team was looking bad. Harry guessed the team was exhausted from classes. The only two people that were on the ball were Hermione, Mark and Ginny. The weather was terrible, the pitch was soaked, and it still was raining. 

The Gryffindor team played a scrimmage with the Hufflepuff team. Hufflepuff won 190-110, Their seeker caught the snitch first, because Harry was thinking about today's events. 

Harry landed next to his team who was looking discouraged. 

"Sorry guys, I wasn't concentrating on the game, today's been a bad day for me," and Harry paused. "You guys were playing great, though." He added. 

"We sucked," muttered Mark.

"Not that bad, we would of won if I'd caught the snitch we'd of won," Harry replied.

"If you'd of caught the snitch, we should be up there so even if they caught the snitch we'd still win. Why'd you pick Ginny and me? We both suck." 

"No you don't, you got all twenty-in." Harry looked at his watch. "Mark, you got to get up to the castle _now_, it's ten minutes past eight, you have to be back and if your caught it will be both of our necks! And I already have two weeks of detentions." 

"Why don't you have to leave?" Mark shot back.

"I'm Head Boy, and Ginny, Hermione and Ron are Prefects, Lavender's a sixth year, and Katie's a seventh, which means... we're your upperclassmen, and we're allowed to stay out later then you," Harry said through gritted teeth. 

"Fine," he turned on his heel and walked off of the pitch.

"I think we'd better go up to the castle too, and get some rest. I don't know about you guys, but I had a really long day."

So without another word they marched off toward their common room. In their common room they all bid each other farewell and the girls walked to their dorms and the boys did the same.

Harry laid on his bed, deep in thought. His head pounding and his scar burning dully. He knew he wasn't going to get to sleep no matter how much he tried.

When his thoughts finally drifted aside he managed to fall asleep. 

__

"Wormtail, did you find Bellatrix's location?" Harry asked in a high pitched cold voice. 

"No, m-master... we haven't been able to yet. But we brought someone t-that might be u-useful-" stammered Wormtail, kneeling at Harry's feet.

"Who, Wormtail?" Harry said lazily, twirling his wand through his fingers.

"R-Remus L-Lupin.... H-he's in t-t-the Order, Master... I d-don't know h-how much h-he knows-" 

"Silence! Bring this Remus Lupin to me, Wormtail. If he is no use to me then I will kill him like the others," Harry said taking a seat on his large throne with serpents carved into the arms. 

"Master," pleaded Wormtail. "Lupin is a werewolf-!"

"Silence! I already knew, did I ask for a explanation?" Harry said and pulled out his wand and pointed it to Wormtail.

"No, master, of coarse not," Wormtail said backing up and then out of the room. A few minutes passed and then Wormtail walked in, with an man, graying brown hair and robes with the Slytherin crest on the front and serpents going down the sleeves. Remus Lupin looked tired. Even though he was young, he looked elderly. Lupin was struggling against his magical bindings and tried with all of his might to escape. 

"Lupin," Remus Lupin looked up to being addressed by his name. Harry looked down on him with little pity or care. Harry had his wand drawn and pointing down at Lupin. "Where is Bellatrix Lestrange?" 

"I'll never tell you anything, Voldemort_!" Lupin said loudly._

"I think you'll change your mind..." And at that moment Harry realized he was inside of Voldemort's mind. When Voldemort tried to say 'Crucio', Harry stopped him and all that Voldemort got out was 'Cru.' 

Harry couldn't tell what happened next. All he knew was that he was flying through time and space. In a whirlwind of color and life, the darkness of evil and for a moment he realized how he could kill Voldemort... And what Dumbledore meant by the power the Dark Lord knows naught... He'd have to sacrifice himself for Voldemort's life... Give Voldemort the force that he detests... love.... 

__

And Harry somehow knew when he'd wake up he wouldn't remember this and have to learn it all over again.


	11. Chapter 11: Unasked Questions

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I know that things are getting tougher When you cant get top off from the bottom of the barrel Wide open road of my future now... Its looking fucking narrow All I know is that I don't know All I know is that I don't know nothing _-Operation Ivy, Knowledge_

Chapter 11

Unasked Questions

Detention with Snape was uneventful; Snape had him cleaning cauldrons. At the end of each detention Snape would tell extinguish the candle so it was completely dark. Harry would walk out with his scar throbbing and tired.

The week seemed never-ending, when Friday came, he had four reports due Monday and one due Tuesday and to top it off he hadn't even started to get his things ready to go to Durmstrang for their first game. He didn't even realize that no one was up. 

When he finished packing, he looked at his watch to find it being 7:30, he picked up his robes and went to take a shower. He then changed into his new robes and went to breakfast to find Ron and Hermione already eating. Harry crossed the hall and sat next to Ron who looked sick to his stomach.

"What's up, Ron?" Asked Harry. 

It wasn't Ron to answer, but Hermione. "Ron's just nervous, you know with the game on the way." 

"Yeah, I guess..." he said and then looked to Ron. "Mate you better eat, you're going to need your strength once were at Durmstrang. They probably are really good."

"Viktor is the coach... from what he said they have the Durmstrang team trained by the Bulgarian Quidditch team," Hermione said reading a letter.

"Did Vicky send that?" Ron asked, who was poking his food with a fork. 

"Yes, as a matter of fact, he did," Hermione said and then put the letter away. "We better be going to our first class, Ron, Harry. We have Care of Magical Creatures, come on!" Hermione gathered all of her books and stood. Harry and Ron did the same and soon they were marching down the slopping lawns on a warm November morning. 

Hagrid was standing in the front of his cabin with five crates towering casting huge shadows over the grounds. 

"Wha' are yeh doin' here, yeh three? Aren't yeh supposed teh be goin' teh Durmstrang' fer a Quidditch match?" Hagrid called, casting a piercing stare at them.

"Er- Yeah, Professor McGongall said they'd send someone to get us during this class," Harry said frowning. He knew something was wrong. 

"Someone should'a told yeh! Yeh were supposed teh be going from breakfast, 'Arry! Go on, get back up to the castle! And do me a favor won't yeh, 'Arry?"

"What's that?" Harry asked him.

"Win, that's all!" Hagrid said and then embraced Harry in a big hug. Harry couldn't breath, but he didn't complain. When Hagrid finally released him he felt as if alot more words were spoken then were said. He felt loved. 

"Thanks Hagrid," Harry said and the trio ran up to the castle, with their bags over their shoulders. They came to a stop in front of Professor McGongall. 

"We were looking for you, Potter, Weasley, Granger. Now as I was telling the rest of the group, we are going to walk to Hogsmeade, there we will board the Hogwarts Express and leave for Platform 9 3/4. Then, we will transfer to a muggle plane to Bulgaria and then they will have transportation for us from there. We should be there by morning;" Professor McGongall said and then nodded to Professor Dumbledore who was behind them. "I will not be joining you, but Professor Dumbledore accompanied by Professor Lupin, Professor Snape, Nymphadora Tonks, Alastor Moody, Kingsley Shaklebolt and Molly, Arthur and Charlie Weasley will be your chaperones. They will be arriving momentarily."

And right on cue Snape walked up from the dungeons, Lupin and Tonks walked down the stairs and the rest walked into the great hall. The Weasley's standing out with their bright red hair. Mrs. Weasley walked over and gave Harry and Ron a quick hug and then walked over to where the rest of the chaperones were standing.

***

The journey to King's cross was boring, even with his closest friends. Harry climbed to the luggage rack and fell asleep for a few hours, but was soon woke by Ron who told him to change into his extra clothes, (which not everyone brought), but Professor Dumbledore had shirts made for them. They were plain black (some silver) with the Hogwarts crest sewn onto the front. Harry pulled the T-shirt on and grabbed a pair of jeans out of his bag. The jeans, which were once Dudley's, were at least fifteen sizes to big for him. Harry then put on a pair of old converse and put his robes in his bag.

They stopped at King's cross and Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Ernie all got off of the train bags and brooms over their shoulders. But then Hermione pulled him to the side. 

"Harry, since we're going into the muggle world you should wear this" she pulled a beanie out of her pocket. It was black with a single silver stripe. Harry nodded and put it on Hermione straightened it and made sure it covered his scar completely.

"Thanks," Harry said and then looked around, "did Fudge tell the muggle Prime minister the name of Hogwarts?" He asked her.

"Not that we know of, Anyway they'd probably think we're from some boarding school. We're not carrying our brooms with us, owls are taking them," Hermione said and then smiled. "Harry, did I tell you? My mom and dad are coming to the game! They said they want to watch me play quidditch, I don't think they even know what it is, really." 

"Right," Ron said. "Come on, its clear." Ron pulled Harry and Hermione through the barrier. And Harry saw the person he was least expecting to see on the other side of the barrier. He saw Uncle Vernon picking Dudley up from a train. He looked sick to his stomach. 

Harry followed his group to the exit; the sun was setting Harry observed. Uncle Vernon and Dudley were at Platform six. And his Uncle noticed them, obviously they didn't actually fit in, some of them were wearing bright silver shirts with a black stripe and some silver. They were lead by a man who wore a long purple robe and a man who had a boulder hat pulled low over his eye. Tonks chatted cheerfully to Professor Lupin. 

Uncle Vernon spotted Harry and looked at his with utter disgust. 

"Isn't that your uncle, Harry?" Ron asked Harry smirking.

"Er- Yeah," Harry responded. 

"What's he doing here?" Ron asked.

"Looks like Uncle Vernon is picking Dudley up from Smeltings, but I can't see why... It's only November, and Christmas break isn't until December 22... Dudley probably ate one of the other kids hopefully Piers" Harry snorted. He remembered yelling at Piers the previous summer. Ron and Hermione laughed.

"I would have gone to Smeltings," Hermione said. "But since I got my letter here, you know."

"I dunno where I'd of went," Ron said. "I knew I was getting my Hogwarts letter, you know. I've been doing magic since I was five... so I knew I wasn't going to be a squib," Ron looked to Harry. "I've been down for Hogwarts since I was four" Ron said pompously. 

"I'd have been going to Stonewall High" Harry rolled his eyes. "From what Hagrid told me I've been down since I was a baby." 

"Oh," Ron said.

"Potter, what're you doing here?" Dudley asked. 

"Manners, Dudley, manners..." Harry whipped out his wand in the blink of an eye and so did Ron, Hermione, Ernie and Ginny. 

"You think you're such a big man, Potter. What're you without your stick of wood?" Dudley said smirking. That was it, Harry punched Dudley, and received a nasty punch in the gut that knocked him backwards, his wand slid across the floor and Hermione picked it up. Dudley then tried to punch him while he was down, but with Harry's quick reflexes from quidditch training he rolled to the side and then got to his feet.

Dudley quickly recovered and punched Harry in the jaw, which knocked him onto his back, but Harry got Dudley before he fell, but it didn't effect him. Uncle Vernon grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him to his foot who was bright red and fuming. He dropped him to the ground. 

"Potter! How dare you punch Diddy Dudley-kins? Just wait, Potter..." then he turned away and walked out of King's Cross. 

"You OK, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Er- Yeah" said Harry wincing as Dudley's punch to his jaw took effect. 

"That's bruised already, Harry" Hermione handed him his wand. 

They took three Minerstry cars to the airport and they walked around until their plane would be boarding. 

"Plane's leaving you five! Quit socializing and get on!" Said Tonks who's hair was in a pink and black tri-hawk. She handed them their tickets and they all walked to their seats. 

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Harry's scar prickled uncomfortably and his jaw ached. 

"Harry you should put some ice on that, its starting to swell," Hermione said and then conjured some ice. 

"Fine," he took it. 

The rest of the trip they just talked about the upcoming game. They got off of the plane at about 5:23 A.M. Everyone on the train was tired, and almost falling asleep... not one of them slept on the plane ride there. They were meet by a van driven by no other then Karkaroff.

"Ah Albus, how are you? Just telling Viktor about how scouts for the World Cup teams will be looking for players at this match," Karkaroff said looking at Dumbledore who climbed in the front seat. The fourteen Hogwarts students climbed into the back, which was made magically bigger. The chaperones climbed in next to the teams. 

"Harry Potter?" Karkaroff said looking and seeing who all was there. Harry didn't really change much since his fourth year, except he grew about five inches and he looked older, and tired.

"Yeah, it's me; don't you see my scar?" Retorted Harry pointing to his scar, which was burning and he felt Karkaroff's stare there. 

"Yeah, I see it, Potter. So what are you doing here? Playing the hero again?" Karkaroff said, smirking. The last comment made Harry feel sick. 

"No, I play and have played Quidditch for Gryffindor since my first year. The youngest player in-" Harry was cut off by Ron who finished his sentence. 

"A century," Ron said with loathing in his voice. 

"According to McGongall," added Hermione her voice low and quiet. 

"Potter, you know you look alot like James? Except for the eyes you have Lilly's eyes. I went to school with James and Lilly; James was a superb seeker, not as good as Viktor here, but great. He was on the Tutshill Tornados did you know that?" Karkaroff asked looking at him.

"Er- no," replied Harry. They started going and Harry was left tracing his finger over his scar. When Karkaroff mentioned James Harry's scar prickled uncomfortably and it didn't stop until they arrived at Durmstrang. 

The castle wasn't much smaller then Hogwarts, but only a fool would think they didn't take Quidditch seriously. They had two Quidditch pitches with two teams practicing and Harry had to admit they both were excellent. As they walked through the front doors it was as if walking into an oven. The school was about 90ºF inside.

The Entrance Hall wasn't as grand or breath taking as Hogwarts. There was a main staircase made out of maple wood. There were about five corridors leading off the Entrance Hall, leading to where Harry did not know. 

"You shall be sleeping in the _Gastgehäuse _wing. Viktor will show you the way," Karkaroff said and Viktor nodded. And he stalked off toward the corridor to his right. Harry and his group followed. 

"Her-mi-ninny, how vas the trip?" Krum asked Hermione. 

"Pretty good. How've you been?" She asked him and he nodded to tell her he was fine. He turned left into a smaller passage and there was a set of steps. They climbed the steps and turned right. There was a door with _Gastgehäuse _written on it. He opened it and it was pretty plain. It had white walls, with a stone floor and there were about twenty-five beds.

"'Ere is vere you'll be staying, The Great Hall is in the entrance hall. Straight across the hall from 'ere. You vill be expected at the Feast in the Great Hall at four fifteen," He said nodded farewell to Hermione and walked out. 

Harry threw his bag down on one of the beds and as he did his broom landed on the bed. And everyone else claimed his or her beds. Ron was next to him and Hermione took a bed on Harry's left. Harry yawned; he hadn't slept since Thursday night. 

"Now that we are here, I think you should be allowed to get to know your rival school of magic's students. You may go and explore, just don't make too much noise and remember to meet back here at 3 so we can go to the feast together," said Lupin who stood up and walked over to Harry. "But be heed, a chaperone must accompany you." 

"Want to go exploring?" Harry asked Ron and Hermione. Ron nodded and Hermione said, "sure." Harry then asked Lupin if he wanted to come with them and he did. 

Lupin had changed since he lost Sirius, Harry guessed that they all changed some what because of Sirius's death. Harry wanted to know more about the veil, and he still didn't understand how... well how Sirius died when he just went through? He started to ask but thought better of it. Lupin seemed to know what Harry was thinking.

"Harry are you going to ask about the veil? There are alot of mysteries that the unspeakables study in the Department of Mysteries - Time Travel, The universe, Love, Lust and the most mysterious of everything studied there, Death. For a long time they studied that and tried to bring people back from the dead. 

"And that lead to the fascination of opening a portal to the dead. And thus the veil was made. They threw people in there for science, but they didn't know they were..." He broke off and looked Harry in the eyes. Harry knew what he was going to say wasn't going to be good. 

"Condemning innocent beings to a force worse and greater then death. They condemned them to be spirits and wonder the world. The innocent being that was pushed through unjustly would be given the choice. Now the veil is used as a gateway to the afterlife. 

"Like how Sirius was pushed unjustly, and I know he will be waiting in the light for us. He's probably with James and Lilly as we speak." 

"He is. I-I know... I-I remember..." Harry said and then closed his eyes and remembered everything his dad told him. Every dream and every moment of his life. First his mum and dad's death... Hagrid telling him he was a wizard... Fighting the basilisk... Finding out Sirius was his godfather... Voldemort returning and them dueling... he saw his mother and his father coming out of Voldemort's wand... Cedric's limp lifeless body lying on the ground.... Countless nights of cutting 'I will not tell lies into his hand'... and Sirius falling through the veil. For a moment Harry felt as if he understood everything and then as it came it gone as if with the wind. And Harry was left with the memory of Sirius in his mind.

"You remember?" Lupin asked, looking at him, with not a look as if he though Harry was crazy, but the look as if his long lost friend had returned from the dead. And the feeling made him feel glee and sorrow at the same time. Harry nodded and Lupin embraced Harry in a hug.

They now were in a passageway that was bright with sunlight. They let go and continued walking. And for the first time in a while, his scar wasn't prickling. They returned to their dorm to find it almost empty. There was only Dumbledore, Snape and Mr. Weasley. 

Harry sat down on his bed and Ron and Hermione sat on theirs. 

"What do you think of Durmstrang?" Hermione asked Harry.

"It's Ok, I guess. I like Hogwarts better," Harry replied monotonously. His scar started throbbing painfully again. "Voldemort's pissed about something," He said. "Something or someone didn't do something as he wanted..." Harry said and the words sounded as if they weren't his own, but he knew they were true.

"Harry, you're supposed to be blocking those things out!" Hermione said.

"I know, but I'm I can't use Occlumency all day, can I?" Harry replied, shrugging. "Do you think I want my scar to burn? Do you think I want any of Voldemort's thoughts?" 

"No, I suppose not" Hermione replied, looking around. 


	12. Chapter 12: Death by Dementor

A/N: After this Chapter my story starts getting darker. I have the next three chapters typed, but From now on if you want a update please review, and tell me if something is wrong or anything like that... FEEL FREE TO CRITICIZE! It helps--alot. And I really appreciate reviews, if you have ANY questions relating to my story, please by all means ask. And by reviewing you let me know that people are actually reading my fic. 

-Tonks08

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Disclaimer: I don't own HP and if I did I wouldn't be writing this. The only things I own are the characters that you don't recognize. 

Chapter XII:

Death by Dementor

Harry and the rest of their group made their way to the Great Hall. The Great Hall wasn't nearly as great as Hogwart's hall. The walls and floors were stone and there were at least fifteen tables going from left to right in the hall and there were about 100 students sitting at half of the tables. There were three tables in an arch shape in the front of the hall and Karkaroff sat in the middle with teachers to his right and the left side empty. Karkaroff stood and looked around. 

"Hogwarts staff please come up here and join my staff, Hogwarts students find a seat among our students," He waved over the whole hall. Dumbledore smiled and walked up to the front of the room with the chaperones at his heels. The students looked at the Hogwarts students and one of them came up to Harry.

He had a black Mohawk and piercing going up both of his ears. His red robe hung open and he had a black shirt with Sex Pistols written on it.

"Aren't you Harry Potter?" He asked, but his eyes didn't go to Harry's scar like most people. 

"Er- Yeah," Harry replied.

"Cool, I thought that was you... anyways do you want to sit with us?" He asked and pointed to a group of people in the corner of the room. 

"Yeah," Harry replied and Harry followed him to his table. Ron and Hermione followed, but stayed back some. The kid with the Mohawk sat down on the end. Harry took a seat next to him and Ron and Hermione on his other sides.

"Oh, yeah... I forgot to tell you... I'm Tom Dolohov, this is Vincent Lestrange," he pointed to a kid with blonde spikes, "this is Joe Macnair," he pointed to the a boy with red hair hanging down in his face "and Steve Snape" he pointed to a boy with long greasy black hair. "This is Viktor Rookwood," he pointed to the kid at the end of the table who had Black hair and it cut short and spiked. 

"And you're?" Lestrange asked looking at Harry. Harry knew that he knew who Harry was. 

"Harry Potter," Harry said and Lestrange's eyes narrowed at Harry's scar. And it made his scar burn. Were these all Death Eaters' sons? 

"So you play Quidditch?" Lestrange asked. 

"Er- Yeah," Harry replied. 

"What position?" Rookwood called from the end of the table.

"Seeker," replied Harry.

"What about them?" Rookwood asked nodding toward Ron and Hermione.

"Ron's keeper and Hermione's one of the beaters," Harry replied.

"Ever think of becoming a Death Eater?" Steve Snape asked looking at Harry from over top a Dark Arts book. 

"No, and I never will" replied Harry. "Are you Snape's son?" Harry blurted out pointing to the table where Snape was sitting. 

"Yeah, dad disowned me when I wanted to join the Dark Lord, but I chickened out in the last minute, anyway," Steve Snape said and looked back to his book.

"So you're a goodie too shoe, huh." Rookwood said and then added "I'm a Death Eater like my dad. My dad was in Azkaban for fourteen years."

"So was mine and my mom," Lestrange said looking up at Rookwood; eyes narrowing.

"So was my dad, big deal. I'm not a Death Eater, and I'm not following in my dad's footsteps. You guys act all big and rest assured your dads can take out anyone that messes with you. I wouldn't turn to my dad no matter what; do you even know what your dad's do every day?" Dolohov said. Harry guessed he wasn't all-bad.

"Yeah, they worship the Dark Lord, big whoop. And so do I, even though I'm not in the Dark Lord's inner circle," Lestrange said. 

"No, they kill people," Harry said through gritted teeth. "They're the reason I have no family, except for the dim-witted Dursleys. And Voldemort wants me dead too, so it is a big deal." 

"I never though of that," Lestrange said. "But still, I'm not betraying the Dark Lord and besmirching the Dark Lord's ranks. I'm this close;" he held his index and thumb a millimeter apart, "to being in the inner circle." 

They stopped arguing as Karkaroff stood up.

"First off, I'd like to welcome the students from Hogwarts, Albus and his staff," The hall applauded them. "I'd like to wish each team good luck. Would the Varsity squads please come up here?" Karkaroff said looking at Harry and some of the other students from Hogwarts. Harry, Ron and Hermione stood and so did Mark, Katie, Ginny and Lavender. Dolohov, Lestrange and Rookwood stood up along with four other Durmstrang students. They all walked along the benches to an opening in the tables. There was about 20 between them and the teachers and the students. 

"Captain's step forth," Karkaroff said and Harry and Lestrange did so. "I am to give your teams a chance to win fifty points for the game tomorrow" Harry looked to his team and saw them nodding for him to do it. "The winner of a duel... The winner team will be given the points. Mr. Lestrange, do you accept?" He asked Lestrange and in return Lestrange nodded. "Mr. Potter do you accept?" Harry looked to Dumbledore and his eyes were twinkling. Harry nodded. 

Harry looked at Dumbledore and saw him mouth the words, "use all of your spells." Harry nodded, as he understood. 

  
"In the duel everything goes, except for _Avada Kedavara_. Every other spell is allowed. First one in need of the hospital wing looses. Pick a person from your team to duel." 

Harry looked at his team again and their meaning could be plainer, "you're dueling." He then stepped in the middle of the arena. And so did Lestrange. And Harry felt a jerk in the ground surrounding them and they rose about seven feet off of the ground. A wall of two feet high went around the perimeter of the rink.

Harry went to his side and Lestrange took his. 

"Repressing Hogwarts, Harry Potter," and the people from Hogwarts clapped. "Representing Durmstrang Vincent Lestrange," All of the Durmstrang students and facility clapped. "Bow to your opponent," they did so, but barley; keeping their faces upturned. "Good, three-two-one duel!" Karkaroff said.

On two Lestrange threw the Cruciatus curse at him and made him conjure a shield. Similar to the one Voldemort used when Dumbledore dueled him. Harry dropped his shield and threw a simple jinx at him not wanting to bring off the big guns so early in the duel.

Lestrange easily blocked it and sent another Cruciatus curse at him, he ducked and it missed him by inches.

"_Serpentsortia!_" Lestrange yelled and a snake flew out of his wand. It hissed and slithered to Harry, ready to strike. 

"Don't even think about it, snake," Harry called in parceltounge. The snake turned and charged at Lestrange instead.

Harry took this time to throw a powerful curse at him. Harry's aim was true and Lestrange was knocked off of his feet. He rolled onto his back as the snake sunk its fangs into Lestrange's right forearm. Blood stained his blood red uniform. But he was on his feet, shaking slightly. 

"_CRUCIO!_" Lestrange bellowed so loud Harry was sure that the people at Hogwarts would have heard him. But this time his aim was true and Harry was knocked off of his feet and his scar burst open, but he could still see the hall. The curse the worst past he got to his feet feeling shaky threw a stunner at Lestrange and he blocked it easily. 

"_EAMANTORDY EXAMAY!_" Lestrange bellowed and a dementor grew out of the top of his wand. Towering toward the heavens above, and the air grew bitter and all the happiness was taken from the air. The cheerfulness of long past was now replaced with sorrow and dismay. The fires in the hearths went out and so did the torches. The grim shadow of the dementor moved forward so it was now facing Harry who backed away from the dementor. If there was one thing he feared it was fear itself, and if the dementor wasn't the symbol for fear Harry didn't know what...

But before Harry's mind could think of what he was doing a scabbed hand closed around his through. 

__

"Come on, you can do better than that!" Sirius yelled, his voice echoing around the death chamber. 

The second jet of light hit him squarely in the chest.

The laughter that had quite not left his face, his eyes widened in shock... It seemed to take Sirius an age to fall. His body curved in a graceful arch as he sank back behind the ragged veil hanging on the arch...

Sirius... the one happy memory... gave him the strength to recover... he clutched his wand tight in his hand and thought of Sirius and all of the good times... _I'm going to see Sirius again... _which this was not a lie, he knew that Luna was right and that he would see Sirius again. 

"_Expetro Patronum!_"Harry coughed. The cold was getting to him. He kicked the dementor as hard as he could for he was getting closer to Harry's mouth... _We won... we won the cup... _Harry thought desperately. "_Expetro Patronum!_" He said weakly, and he felt a surge of power pour through him. He felt his back hit the floor and he felt anemic. He saw his patronus charge the dementor back toward Lestrange who flicked his wand and it was gone in a wisp of smoke. 

Harry lay there for a few minutes with his eyes closed. He knew he didn't have that much strength left, but he knew that with one more spell and he could be victorious.

He stood and concentrated on Lestrange feeling _his _pain. He concentrated on _Voldemort _and _all _of his Deatheaters feeling every dose of pain Voldemort had ever inflicted upon him. He made a ring and flicked his wand and neon purple light came out of Harry's wand and his aim was true. Lestrange was knocked off of his feet and out cold. 

Harry felt his feet falling out from beneath him and then he felt the impact of the ground, but he didn't feel pain. He saw black and nothing but black. There was gold at the end... _the snitch_? Harry tried to reach for it but his body was limp. And it was growing... it came into focus and Dumbledore was sitting over him. Harry coughed and Dumbledore looked relieved. 

"How are you feeling, Harry?" Dumbledore asked. 

"OK, I guess," Harry replied and he ran a finger along his scar, which was burning furiously. "My scars just burning... that's all..." 

"Harry, as I have already told you... If I thought I could help you by putting you into an enchanted sleep I would. Numbing the pain only makes it worse when you finally feel it. And of coarse you have a game... and then we're leaving tonight. I think Gryffindor will be pleased to have an excuse to throw a party. Your team was worried they'd have to play without you and have the junior varsity's seeker play for you. 

"Now get up, Harry. We're not using the junior varsity's seeker;" Dumbledore pulled Harry up so that he was sitting up. He looked around to see that he was in their dorm. Dumbledore had alot of strength for a man of his age. "Now come."

Harry stood and picked his quidditch robes and broom up off of his bed. He nodded to Dumbledore and they started walking to Durmstrang's Quidditch Pitch. It took them about fifteen minutes to walk down there. 

Their pitch was like nothing Harry ever seen. The ground in the pitch wasn't grass like normal ones... but wood with lines painted on the wood. The two lower hoops were raised about fifty feet and the tallest one hundred feet above the wooden pitch below. The seats were on each side raised for all the levels of game play, ranging from fifty to one twenty. There was about two thousand seats, only half of which were filled. The day was a great day for Quidditch, the sun was shining and it was warm for a day of November.

Harry walked into the locker room where his team was assembled. As soon as he entered everyone's head turned his way. Hermione ran and hugged Harry and kissed him on the cheek.

"You're OK!" She yelled ecstatically hugging him.

"Yeah," Harry replied. "Hermione... need...to...breathe!"

Hermione let go and said "sorry". Harry told her it was OK and he started changing into his Quidditch robes, which Harry found fit him perfectly. He put it on quickly and his stomach felt sick. He walked to the front of the room and all of the talking ceased. 

"OK, everyone... we're playing a team we never played before. Please play with all of your heart, because I know you guys can win the cup. We are a great team. I know we can do it... I never saw a greater team..." Harry said and then added quietly... "We deserve to win... so lets go out there and play our hearts out."

They stood and the team didn't say anything. They all were nervous about their upcoming game, and it showed. Harry didn't say anything though. 


End file.
